Nariko
by Amei-chan
Summary: AU Naruto is actually Nariko, a girl who disguises herself as a boy so she'll be treated like one and prove that girls are just as good as boys and achieve her dreams. NOT SasuNaru... permanently
1. A New Identity

**Nariko**

**Chapter 1: A New Identity**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for the idea of Nariko. So don't steal my minor, two-letter changed idea!

Nariko awoke to the resonating sound of an alarm clock. She quickly turned off the annoying sound and got out of bed. She yawned while rubbing her still-tired azure eyes. Today was the day she would get ready to start at the ninja academy, and the days of sleeping in were over. Although she was only six, Nariko lived alone. She never had any parents, only the villagers who had an undying hatred for her for unknown reasons. That was all going to change though. Going to the academy would make her a ninja, and then she would become hokage. Well, that's what she wanted to happen in her six-year-old mind. That way, she could finally get some respect.

"Today, I will be the best! Believe it!" Nariko promised herself.

But there were some problems with being a ninja. Since she was a girl, Nariko would have to go through 'special' Kunoichi training. She didn't want to go through stupid things like flower arrangement. She wanted to fight just like the boys would. That's why she was going to disguise herself as a boy. No stupid girly stuff for her! She put on one of her five identical outfits; black t-shirt and orange pants. Orange wasn't a 'cool' color, whicbut she didn't care

After grabbing a quick cup of instant ramen (The only food she could buy without being gypped) Nariko headed out the door without a care of how she looked. Anyone who saw her wouldn't know that she wasn't a boy. The villagers had generally thought of her as a boy before, so this made the job even easier. She just wanted to be safe. When she got to the academy, there were many students-to-be with their parents. Nariko suddenly felt a pang of emptiness when she saw all of the smiling happy families together. She stood in line, alone. When the line thinned, Nariko found herself at the signup desk in front of a young shinobi.

"Hello, are you here to sign up for the academy?"

Nariko nodded.

"Then where are you're parents kid?"

She looked to the ground.

"I don't have any."

"Oh..." the ninja began, remembering that he was dealing with a child, "That's ok, you can still be part of the academy. What is your name?"

She hadn't thought of this; if she gave her real name, she would be enlisted as a kunoichi and then she'd have to suffer through 'special' classes. What name could she use?

"Kid, what's your name?"

"I'm..." Nariko began, thinking quickly, "Naruto."

After that, it was smooth sailing into the academy.

* * *

A week later, Nariko woke up immediately, excited to start at the ninja academy. She quickly got dressed and ate her ramen before running out the door. She was so excited, Nariko probably would have sprinted the whole way to the academy if it weren't for the fact that six-year-olds can't sprint for more than a block or two. Gasping for breath, she decided that walking would be the best idea.

"Who knew it would be so far?" she asked out loud.

"It's not; you just don't have very much endurance. You better not be going to the ninja academy because you'll never make it."

She turned around to come face to face with a dark haired boy with onyx eyes. Nariko scrunched up her face; it was Uchiha Sasuke. Not only did she consider him a pretty-boy jerk, but she also had jealousy. He had a family and everyone liked him; the life she could never have.

"Like I care what you say pretty-boy," she retorted.

"You should, because I will be one of the best, just like everyone else in my clan."

"Tell someone who cares."

She kept walking; she hated that guy and there was no way she would talk to him by choice. She didn't even turn to see his reaction. She figured it was something along the lines of, 'OMG! That person doesn't care how special I am?'. Nariko sniggered at her joke.

"You better not be laughing at me!" he called.

Nariko just continued to ignore him. There was no way an Uchiha was going to ruin her first day, no freaking way.

The academy was bustling with new students and their parents. Nariko quickly walked to the entrance, trying to ignore the, 'Have a good day honey,' and, 'I'll see you after school, I love you,' parents were giving their children. She followed the signs to the room where she would learn her ninja training and meet her new sensei.

When she got there, she was alone. Most of the students were still outside saying goodbye to their parents. Shoving that thought out of her mind, Nariko took a seat near the front of the class. She watched as students began filling the classroom. No one really caught her eye, except for one girl with pink hair because she had never seen anyone with pink hair before, until he walked in. Her heart and hope froze when Sasuke entered the room.

"Are you kidding me?" she thought, "That jerk is in my class?"

As soon as the quiet chatter of the students died down, a man with a bown ponytail and a scar across his nose came to the front.

"Hello class, I am going to be your teacher while you are at the academy. Our first action of today is for you all to introduce yourselves. Just say your name and tell why you decided to become a ninja. You," he said while pointing to the Uchiha, "You go first."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke and I came to the academy to follow in my family's foot steps."

The person sitting to his right was a blonde girl with ice blue eyes.

"My name is Yamanako Ino and I came to the academy because I'm going to be with Sasuke-kun!"

Most of the class said one of those two things, most of the girls saying the latter. Nariko frowned; she didn't want to be in a class with Uchiha and all of his fangirls. Nariko was one of the last ones, and it was finally her turn.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to become one of the greatest ninja ever! Believe it!"

"That's not really a reason," the boy next to her mumbled.

"Oh yeah? Who are you to call the shots? Well at least it's different; would you rather have me respond as one of Uchiha's fangirls, hm?"

"Seeing that you're a boy, no. And it's too troublesome to answer the rest of your questions," he replied flatly.

"Well SORRY..."

He groaned.

"Anyway, I'm Nara Shikamaru and it's too troublesome to tell why I came here."

"Lazy," Nariko coughed.

Shikamaru just groaned again.

"Come on," his friend, who was currently eating a bag of chips, said, "He's got a point."

Realizing that it was his turn to speak, he talked again.

"I'm Akamichi Choji and," he ate a handful of chips, "I cane hwer to-"

"Moving on," the teacher said, "If you're going to talk, don't talk with your mouthful, ok?"

Looking around, he realized that the whole class had spoken.

"Ok, so now that you're all introduced, we'll go over the ninja basics..."

After that, Nariko had just tuned out, and daydreamed about the great ninja she hoped to one day become.

**A/N:** Ok, so short beginning chapter. This is my first fic, so I'm kind of experimenting a bit. Please review, and if you're going to flame, please warn me so I can get on my fireproof gear. I know that this definitely needs some revising, but I want to get some opinions first. Um... what else? Oh right, I'm starting at their childhood right now, since Naruto (Actually Nariko here) will act a little OOC due to the fact that he's a girl... and I have no idea what I'll do for pairings, so suggestions will also be taken. Thanks for reading the first chapter of my first fic and... please review!


	2. Making Friends

**Nariko **

**Chapter 2: Making Friends **

**-**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for the idea of Nariko. So don't steal my minor, two-letter changed idea!

* * *

Nariko had been at the ninja academy for a month and it had been DULL. All they ever went over was the history of Konoha and the ninja of the leaf village. She wanted to learn how to fight, not learn about some old dead guy. It wasn't like the hokage had to know why what's-his-name did whatever-it-was. One day, Nariko was surprised with a test. 

"WHAT Iruka-sensei? Why didn't anyone tell me there was a test today?" she exclaimed.

"Naruto, I told you all about the test two-weeks ago and reminded you yesterday too."

"Oh, right. Heh, I knew that."

Iruka sweatdropped and proceeded to hand out the test to the class. Nariko's face dropped when she read the first question: Which of the hokages is known as the most powerful. She shifted nervously as the rest of the class scribbled away the answers.

"I'll just skip this one, and come back to it later," she thought.

But to her dismay, she barely knew any of the questions at all. There were only ten questions in all, but she was only able to answer three of them.

"Gah! I'll never become the best at this rate!" Nariko screamed inside her head.

She glanced over to find that the Nara kid had fallen asleep. Stealthily, she took a peek at his paper and got the answer to the first question. She would have taken the rest of his answers had it not been for the fact that he didn't have any other answers.

Nariko mentally sweatdropped.

"Well, at least I won't get the worst grade…" she thought.

Realizing what a brilliant strategy she had come up with, Nariko took a quick peek at the answers of the kid to her left. The girl was just finishing her test. She looked over, her white eyes meeting Nariko's, and found her cheating. Nariko mouthed a 'sorry', expecting to be tattled on. But surprisingly, the blue-haired girl mouthed an 'it's ok' back. Using the opportunity, Nariko quietly and subtly copied off of the other girl's test. After the test, Nariko whispered a 'thank you' to the girl.

* * *

During lunch break, Nariko sat alone by the large tree. She didn't have enough money to have lunch that day, so she just sat under the tree and ignored her stomach's growling. She watched as the other children played games, talked, and ate lunch together. She inwardly sighed. 

"I wonder what it feels like to have friends…" she said out loud.

She kept scanning over the playground, trying to remember who everyone was. It wasn't that it mattered, their parents would never let their child be friends with 'the demon' or whatever it was that the villagers called her, but she was hungry and needed to occupy her mind. Right then, Sasuke walked by, followed by his hoard of fangirls. Nariko's stomach churned as she heard the girls coo and babble about 'Sasuke-kun'. No one noticed her, and she didn't care; she was accustomed to being alone. The group passed by, leaving Nariko with a sense of quiet; well, quieter than a mob of screaming fangirls that is… She leaned back against the tree; gazing at the sky and watching the clouds pass by. It was the best way she could think of to ignore the fangirls and her grumbling stomach.

"I never thought of this before but," she thought out loud, "Clouds are kind of pretty."

"You think so?" a monotonous voice asked.

Nariko jumped.

"I-I-I didn't say that…"

"Whatever, it's too troublesome to remember anyway."

"…"

Nariko doubted she'd ever understand how that Nara kid could be so lazy. She surveyed the playground again, and noticed that the fangirls had dispersed.

"It's about time…" she said.

"About time what?" the lazy kid asked.

She made a face.

"Now it would be too troublesome for you to listen, so why should I bother?"

He just gave her an uninterested look.

"You're right; I was just trying to be polite."

Nariko sweatdropped. Yup, she'd never figure out that guy… She decided to move somewhere else so she could be alone. She had decided to walk back inside the academy when she heard someone cry. She turned her head in the direction of the sound. It was the group of fangirls, but they had another target this time. It seemed as if they were teasing the girl that had helped Nariko out on the test.

She didn't like this. She knew what it was like to be teased or ridiculed (though it wasn't as extreme in this case), and stopping this was the right thing to do. Nariko ran over to the group right after stealing a glass of water from a playing kid.

"What are you doing?" she asked, in an irritated voice.

"What do you think?" the blonde, Ino, asked.

"Yeah, are you stupid or something?" another girl asked.

The group began to start teasing her instead; not that she mattered. Naruto didn't exist so it didn't really affect her; at least that's what she told herself.

"Ok…" Nariko began, "Now that you've finished that, could you answer my question?"

The girl stopped jeering and gave her the 'Are-you-kidding-me?' look. And she gave back the 'No-now-tell-me' look. Silence…

"It's none of your business," the pink-haired girl, Haruno Sakura said.

"So?" Nariko asked, trying to get under their skin.

Ino started to do something close to a twitch, and angry expression coming over her face.

"WHY YOU ANNOYING LITTLE-"

"Oh my, did someone forget their meds today?" Nariko cut off.

This caused the rest of the group to laugh a little. They stopped immediately when the platinum-blonde shot them all death glares.

"Just. Go. Away."

"Nope, not till you answer me," Nariko stated, "But I suppose one in your condition DOES tend to get side-tracked often."

Ino went to attack her, only to miss and land into the ground. The rest of the girls couldn't take it anymore; they all burst out laughing. Now Ino was the one being laughed at, and who could blame them? Due to the fact that Nariko had emptied the cup of water she had stolen on the ground (creating mud), the girl had fallen face first into a mud pile.

While the others laughed while Ino began to rant, Nariko went over to the blue-haired girl who had been previously teased.

"Hey, are you ok?" she asked.

"I-I-I'm f-fine; th-th-thank you," she stuttered softly.

"What did they say to you?" she asked, "It seems they can't even answer a simple question."

"Oh, th-they were m-m-mad at me b-b-because Sasuke-sama l-l-looked my way. Th-they figured h-h-he was looking at m-m-me. Th-then they teased m-me about my eyes. Th-they said it l-l-looked like z-z-zombie eyes of the un-un-undead…"

"Don't worry about them," Nariko replied, "Who cares what they say? I certainly don't."

"Th-thank you."

"No problem. I should be thanking you," she sai din a hushed tone, "For helping me on that test."

Both girls smiled.

"M-m-my name's Hinata, w-what's yours?" she asked.

Nariko was surprised anyone would want to know her name.

"Do I have a friend?" she thought.

"I'm Nari-" she caught herself for a second, "I'm Naruto."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the short chapter, but I thought I should stop at here. I'm having serious writers block because I dunno how to word this one part… hopefully I'll get it soon. Um, as for pairings, I got 2 requests so far. They are: SasuNaru and GaaNaru. I know there have been more votes for the first one but it's so common and a certain yaoi was… I don't want to talk about that. But now, I guess I'll take votes for 'em and post the results so far on the next chapter. If you want, I could also put in a new pairing idea… anyway, **REVIEW!**


	3. The Rivalry Begins! Part 1

**Nariko **

**Chapter 3: The Rivalry Begins! Part 1**

**-**

**-**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothin' except the general idea.

* * *

It had been three months at the academy, and after many lessons on boring facts, the time had come. Nariko was excited; she'd finally get to practice with weapons! She was super excited to try, and decided to see if her friend was excited too.

"Hinata-chan!" she exclaimed as she got to the academy.

The pale-eyed girl turned towards her friend and smiled.

"What is it Naruto-kun?"

After their first few weeks of friendship, Hinata had lost her stutter around her friend.

"Aren't you excited Hinata-chan?" she asked.

"About what?"

Nariko looked at her as if she had two heads. How could she have forgotten?

"Today is the day we get to practice with weapons!"

"Oh… You know that only future shinobi get to practice today. The girls… don't."

Nariko's smile faded.

"That's not fair! Girls are just as capable as boys if they were given the same chances! Besides," she whined, "It won't be as much fun without you."

"That's ok Naruto-kun, I will be fine. Don't forget that I train at home too with my father. Maybe we could… sometime…"

"That'd be awesome Hinata-chan!"

She let a small smile appear on her face.

"I take that as an, 'ok' then?" Nariko asked.

Her friend nodded and they split up into their separate classes.

Weapons-training wasn't what Nariko had thought it to be. First off, they were only practicing with 'shuriken' to learn how to hold them. Secondly, they were made out of paper. Nariko held the paper star in her hand, trying to resist from throw it at the tree, wondering why they couldn't even throw it.

_Flashback _

_"Now class," Iruka hand begun, "Today we will only learn how to hold a shuriken." _

_A collective moan went throughout the class. _

_**"**Why not though?" Nariko had asked, "How are we supposed to learn if we can't even through the things?" _

_"Because, to wield a weapon properly, you must know how to hold it first," the silver haired teacher, Mizuki, said, "If you're good though, you may actually get to throw them," Mizuki-sensei added. _

_That got the students attention, and apparently his fellow teacher who wished he hadn't said that. _

_"Now please get into a single-filed line," Iruka had said. _

_Nariko had ended up being first in line; she was really excited to actually hold a weapon. When three were placed in her hands, she had frowned. _

_"PAPER?" she exclaimed, "How am I supposed to learn with paper?" _

_"You are all still young; it's too dangerous for you all to hold REAL shuriken," Mizuki stated. _

_Nariko just sighed and went to a spot to 'learn' how to hold the 'shuriken'. I wasn't hard. Anyone could learn how to hold a shuriken in only minutes. _

_End Flashback _

And that's what had happened only three minutes ago.

"What now?" she asked, "I'm done learning how to hold a star."

"That's kind of obvious," a dark-haired boy next to her started.

It was none only than Uchiha Sauske.

'Oh great, it's the pretty-boy Uchiha,' she thought.

"Anyone can learn to hold a star," he finished.

"Well, DUH. That's why I'm asking what I do next!" she retorted.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Wait a minute, it's you! You're the one who on the first day was rude to me."

"And I thought you were a genius. It's been what? 3 months already? And please pretty boy, don't get into a hissy fit; we wouldn't want you to feel anything but the best now, right?" she asked sarcastically, earning lots of laughter from the boys around her.

Sasuke growled, ready to attack.

"Please don't attack pretty boy," she began again, "You may bruise your perfect face."

"That's it!" he exclaimed.

He threw his shuriken straight at Nariko. Since they were only a few yards apart, she didn't have time to react. Both paper stars hit her squarely in the forehead. She grumbled and rubbed the red-spot.

"Man, I feel scared now," she laughed, "You really think that'll get me hurt?"

Se had had much worse; the villagers attacked her at every possible moment. They even had tried to kill her on several occasions, but somehow she always lived. She was knocked out of her thought when the raven-haired boy tackled her to the ground.

The two rolled around in the dirt, wrestling to beat each other. Nariko wasn't fazed, but she didn't like having one, dirt getting tossed into her eyes, and two, a boy on top of her. It just was… strange.

"Get off!" she demanded.

Sasuke didn't reply; he was too busy attacking her. He even threw in a few punches, half of which hit her face. Nariko decided that enough was enough. She was already getting beaten on by the villagers; this was the same thing, except she had a chance to fight back. As soon as she was shoved back on the bottom, she brought her knee up and got Sasuke right in the gut (no matter how much she hated him, Nariko was too nice to aim any lower). The wind was knocked right out of the Uchiha who rolled over.

"That was a low blow," he rasped.

"Well, I didn't come out unscathed either," Nariko replied while pointing to her swelling face.

The other boys had dropped the measly paper weapons and had formed a circle around the two as they fought. Eventually, Iruka and Mizuki found the students out of place and hurried to the circle where they all were gathered. When they got there, they had seen the fight between the two.

"Who do you think will win?" Mizuki whispered to his friend.

"How can you say that? We have to stop them!" he whispered harshly back.

"Just let them get it out of their systems. Boys will be boys. I think that the Uchiha will win; what about you?"

Realizing that his friend was right, Iruka replied, "I think that the Uzumaki kid will win."

"You always pick the underdog, don't you?"

Just then, both of the children got up from the ground. Sasuke wasn't done though; he would not lose to a fool. He went through the hand signs to his jutsu.

'Oh, no,' both of the teachers thought at that moment, but it was too late.

"Fireball jutsu!" Sasuke yelled.

* * *

**A/N:** Here's chapter 3! Sorry for yet ANTHER short chapter, but I can't seem to get more than 1400 words per chapter. At least I'm able to update soon... After reading reviews, here are the votes so far:

SasuNaru: 2

GaaNaru: 1

ShikaNaru: 4

So, you can change your vote or vote this chapter, yatta yatta yatta… After that, I don't want anymore votes because I have to at least think about how I'll do that pairing and whatever. Oh! And thank you all for reviewing! I know I haven't been good about replying, but I will in the future. So, thank you fans!


	4. The Rivalry Begins! Part 2

**Nariko **

**Chapter 4: The Rivalry Begins! Part 2 **

**- **

**- **

**Disclaimer:** This is still FANfiction so obviously…

* * *

Sasuke scowled at the hospital ceiling. He had been there for almost two days now, and something was bugging him. No, surprisingly it wasn't the hoards of fangirls visiting him every hour or so. It was the fact that he had lost to some green academy student, not to mention that Itachi took every chance he could to point it out to him.

'I can't believe I lost!' he exclaimed in his mind once again, 'I thought I had him for sure!'

Many had wondered the story behind the fight, but no two theories were the same. Some said that Sasuke tried to kill 'Naruto' and when he let his guard down he got pounded by his victim. Many others though (AKA: the fangirls) said that he used his amazing skills, but got beaten by the teachers for hurting 'Naruto' because he's just too good to be beaten by anyone. The second was the more popular one seeing how many fangirls there were, but it was far from the truth. Sasuke blessed his luck that the truth didn't get out.

_Flashback _

_The fireball had come from Sasuke, a large attack from someone of an age where chakra couldn't be accessed. Both Iruka and Mizuki had run to stop his attack, but they hadn't gotten there in time. The fireball was sent blazing towards the blonde who had no time to react. From where he could see, Sasuke stared wide-eyed at his attack which consumed his opponent in flames as he fell to his knees from using so much chakra. If he had the strength, he would have punched himself for such rash action. He had actually prayed that he hadn't killed anyone. When Sasuke had opened his eyes, there was a person where his fireball had hit. He was blackened to say the least, but not mortally harmed. But the most important thing was the pair of glowering cerulean eyes, showering hatred upon the Uchiha. _

_Surprisingly to everyone around, and even Sasuke himself, when Naruto wasn't dead, his hatred came back again. The Uchiha HADN'T won, so he then wanted to. The emotions from only seconds ago were replaced once again. But before he could move, the blonde sprinted forward and elbowed him on the head hard, pushing his face into the dirt. _

_"Take that!" he had yelled. _

_Using the last of his might, Sasuke got up to fight back, but was forced back down by the very angry blonde. Sasuke, being an Uchiha, pushed his limits and kicked his burned opponent right in 'the area'. As his opponent fell (With lots of painful reactions from onlookers), he had gotten up victoriously; or so he had thought. The blonde jumped up from the ground and slammed him in the jaw with his fist. Sasuke had been surprised that someone from a non-ninja family could hit so hard. _

_"You loser!" the blonde had yelled, "What were you thinking?" _

_He hadn't responded. _

_"Oh that's right! You weren't you hardheaded Uchiha!" _

_It was then that he roundhouse kicked him in the stomach, sending the new victim into a tree. From what he could tell before fainting, Sasuke could've sworn that the blonde had a surprised expression before running away. _

_End flashback_

And he had been in the hospital ever since. He would have gone home after a few hours except for the fact that one of his ribs was fractured (of course, being an Uchiha, he was healed by a high ranked medic-nin), but no one outside the family would find that out, especially to the fangirls. That would mean sympathy and… gushy stuff; definitely NOT what he wanted at the moment.

"When I get out of here, you're going down Uzumaki."

* * *

After the fight, Nariko hadn't gone back to the academy, or the day after. Something strange had happened, and she needed to figure out what. Back during the fight, she was certain that she was surrounded in that fireball but she didn't burn. It was as if the fire COULDN'T burn her at all. And what was stranger, she had amazing strength; enough to put the Uchiha in the hospital. It felt vicious, yet familiar at the same time. Nariko had been so mad, she had seen red; literally.

"What happened yesterday?" she asked, "Everything is so confusing!"

Sometimes, Nariko just wished that someone could be there to help her through life, at least one person who she could talk to. Hinata was her friend, but she had a rich family with a history; she couldn't possibly understand, no matter how kind she was. But just as always, no one was there to answer her. Just then a knock came at the door.

"Probably the landlord who wants me to leave," she grumbled.

She got up from the floor and opened the door. She was surprised to see a shinobi at the door. It was lucky for her that she never looked 'like a six-year-old girl should' or her cover would've been blown.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Hokage-sama would like to see you boy."

His tone was harsh, not that it was unusual. No one in the village was ever nice to her. She had six 'whisker' marks on her face to prove it too.

"Yes sir," she said while bowing, not wanting to get in trouble.

* * *

The Hokage's office was an unfamiliar place; Nariko had never done anything wrong to her knowing (or anything outstanding) so she had never been to the place. In fact, she had never even been NEAR the Hokage tower. A young Kunoichi ushered her into the room where the old Sandaime was waiting for her. Nariko took a seat in front of the old man.

"What is it that you want Hokage-sama?" she asked politely.

"Please, relax. You don't have to feel intimidated around me Nariko."

Her head perked up in shock when her real name was used.

"Yes, I know your real identity. I've known all along actually..."

She stared blankly at the floor, waiting for her punishment.

"And you've done well, which is why your secret is safe with me."

Nariko's eyes jumped from the floor to the smiling old man.

"R-really?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. Especially after you put that arrogant Uchiha in his place; all ninja are talking about it. For all the skill and good that family has and does, they still have that one trait that comes with them no matter what."

"That doesn't give him the right to try and kill me though."

"No, it doesn't, but you must understand; he's only trying to do his best, especially when he had a prodigy of a brother."

Nariko immediately frowned.

"No, I don't understand," she replied flatly, "I've never tried to 'outshine' anyone, especially not a sibling I don't have."

An awkward silence followed.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but I feel that I must leave," she said while standing.

"Not so fast," he said, "I called you here for a reason."

Nariko nodded, trying not to put dislike in her eyes.

"Of all the people I've asked, I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone concerning your little fight with Sasuke. Would you please tell me the details?"

Her expression softened, and a smile crept on her face.

"I'd be more than glad to."

* * *

The next day, Nariko went back to the academy. As she passed, conversations stopped, and gazes fell on her. Of course, she didn't care much about that. Hinata gave her a worried look. Nariko just gave her a big grin.

Upon entering the classroom, she was looking for one person in particular.

"Hello Uchiha."

The raven-haired boy's head snapped up to glare at the blonde.

"Hello Uzumaki," he growled.

* * *

**A/N:** I know you all are SO anxious to see the results of the poll, so here they are:

SasuNaru: 7

GaaNaru: 6

ShikaNaru: 13

So there are the votes, and that's how they're going to stay. Now, I have some 'notes' I want to say before I end this part besides thanking all of the wonderful reviewers… In the flashback, Nariko is referred to as Naruto and 'he' because that's who she is from Sasuke's POV. Um, let's see… Ah yes, before you tell me about the Itachi thing, he didn't kill everyone yet; that's in a 'year' (No way I'm going to stay in the childhood stage for a year) and I'll incorporate it later. If you don't believe me, check Wikipedia, unless it lied to me… Nah, Wikipedia never lies… Off of that subject, I am currently writing a script to a 'movie' for school so the next chapter may take a while, until then- Amei.


	5. The Crush & A Revealed Secret!

**Nariko **

**Chapter 5: The Crush & A Revealed Secret! **

**- **

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**Disclaimer:** This is still FANfiction so obviously…

* * *

"So, what do you think Hinata-chan?" the blonde asked her friend during lunch.

"I-I-I don't know Naruto-kun," she replied.

They had only been talking about school and what'd been happening since the classes were split apart in girls and boys. But strangely, Hinata had started to stutter around Nariko again.

"Are you ok?" Nariko asked, "You've been stuttering lately and-"

"I-it's nothing Naruto-kun."

"If you say so…"

Who was she to judge her friend? The bell rang, and all of the students were ushered inside for lessons.

"Um, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked shyly.

"Yeah?"

"D-d-do you want to do something later?"

"Um… ok… But we can't go over to your house if that's what you're thinking; your father doesn't exactly like me…"

_Flashback _

_"You have to meet my family Naruto-kun," Hinata said one day. _

_"Why?" Nariko asked just out of curiosity. _

_"Well," she said blushing for some reason, "You should meet them; we are friends after all." _

_Not understanding, Nariko used her tactical move when around people she could trust not to attack her: she smiled and nodded. And because of that, after the academy let out, Hinata pulled her to the Hyuuga mansion. The blonde's blue eyes widened at the sheer size of the complex as its shadow loomed over her. Her apartment looked like a mouse den compared to it. _

_"THIS is where you live?" she asked. _

_Hinata energetically nodded her head while dragging her still surprised friend to the door. The blue-haired girl unlocked the door and walked in. _

_"Hello Hinata-sama," a maid greeted. _

_While Hinata talked to the maid, Nariko took in her surroundings. The whole house was furnished richly. Even the walls were furnished! It sure beat the one roomed dingy apartment that she owned. After sometime, Hinata dragged Nariko out of her trance. _

_"Let's have you meet my father." _

_Once again, the blonde was pulled down the hall, up some stairs, and down even more hallways. After the first few hallways, Nariko didn't even pay attention to her surroundings anymore. _

_"How many hallways ARE there?" _

_Hinata shrugged. _

_"A lot. But we're almost there. Now we're in the east wing. That's where father is after school on Thursdays." _

_Nariko just gave her the 'ok…' look in return. Finally the two came to a door and Hinata knocked. _

_"Who is it?" a voice asked. _

_"It's me, Hinata," she replied, "And I brought my friend, like I told you I would." _

_"Then come in." _

_She did as told and came in with Nariko in tow. _

_"Who is your friend?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked. _

_"This is Uzumaki Naruto. He's my friend at school and always sticks by my side." _

_Nariko would have gladly given her usual foxy grin, but she knew how… strict Hinata's father could be. Instead, she bowed and went through a generic formal greeting along with being humble. Knowing how important the Hyuugas were in Konoha, she wanted to take all precautions. But it all went to waste. Just then, another came in. It was a long-haired boy who looked to be around 7. _

_"Hiashi-sama, who is this?" he asked. _

_"This is Hinata's friend from the academy, Neji, who she has brought here." _

_Neji just stared at her for a moment then narrowed his pupil-less eyes. _

_"I recognize you," he began, "You are the one who beat up the Uchiha." _

_Nariko mentally froze; this was bad. _

_However, Hiashi merely peaked a look of interest. _

_"Is that so?" _

_Neji nodded. _

_"Yes. This boy unjustly attacked the Uchiha." _

_Nariko was taken aback. _

_"That is not true!" she replied back, "He was the one who attack me! And it was with a giant fireball too!" _

_There was a silence, and Nariko remembered whose presence she was in. _

_"My apologies for exclaiming like that." _

_But Neji wasn't through yet. It was if he didn't like the blonde at all. _

_"I hear that you were insulting his clan." _

_Now THAT is what made Hiashi angry. He didn't show it, but Nariko could tell by the shivers going down her spine. _

_"Well, he was acting all arrogant, like the rest of us were worth nothing…" _

_The rest of the visit (which lasted only a few more minutes) was quite awkward. _

_End Flashback _

"I don't think so Naruto-kun. It was j-j-just a bit… Maybe I should go over your place instead…"

Nariko shook her head.

"You wouldn't like my 'home'. The people there aren't so… friendly. You probably wouldn't understand."

Nariko quickly regretted her words after seeing the guilt written on her friend's face.

"I mean, everyone likes you and your family…"

Nariko shut her mouth; she just couldn't say the right words!

"That's ok Naruto-kun."

Nariko wanted to refuse, but the look of hope in Hinata's eyes forced her not to reject. Maybe she should have.

* * *

After class, Nariko quickly went to leave the classroom until she was stopped by Uchiha.

"Move," Nariko bluntly said.

Sasuke smirked.

"I don't think so."

Nariko sighed. If he was still mad about that incident weeks ago then she would have to-

"I'm not moving for you, baka."

"What?!" Nariko exclaimed, "My grades are just as good as yours."

Sasuke smirked again (which was really getting on her nerves with all the smirking he did).

"Not THAT kind of stupid baka."

"Then what is your problem?"

"You don't know? I'm doing you a favor by telling you this."

Nariko sighed again.

"Will you just get on with it? I'm going to meet my friend soon."

Sasuke's annoying smirk grew (And so did Nariko's temper).

"It's your friend. Don't you know that for the past few weeks she's had a crush on you?"

Nariko just stared at Sasuke in disbelief. If only they all knew…

"And you're telling me because?"

Sasuke didn't reply. Now it was Nariko's turn to return his annoying grin.

"You like her don't you?"

Still no reply.

"Don't worry Uchiha," she said as she brushed past him, "I won't steal her heart from you…"

* * *

It was Hinata's turn to be shocked as they went through Nariko's neighborhood. In short, it was anything but where the Hyuugas lived. Luckily, Hiashi knew where she was or he would cut off Nariko's head personally.

"This is it!" Nariko exclaimed, leading Hinata into the apartment.

She looked around at the peeling walls and all other assorted problems.

"Told you it wasn't that nice…"

Nariko gestured for her to sit on the couch, one of the least tattered things in the room.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" she asked.

Hinata nodded.

"I know that you uh… have a-"

Hinata blushed a shade of deep crimson.

"W-w-well now you know…" she said, looking expectant.

"Hinata, you can't like me," she replied, "And I can't like you, in that way…"

A downright sad expression washed across her face.

"Oh. I guess it's for the best."

"But I have a reason!" Nariko began, "Can you keep a secret?"

Hinata nodded, still on the verge of tears.

"My real name isn't Naruto, its Nariko."

"But that's a girl's-"

"And I'm a girl in disguise as a boy so I'll be treated fairly and given the same chance boys are."

There was a long period of silence before Hinata replied.

"Well, that makes sense."

Nariko smiled.

"Can you please not tell anyone?" she asked, "And it's ok with Hokage-sama so no worries about that."

"Ok. That's a deal."

* * *

**A/N:** Eh, not my best chapter. But I wanted to give you readers something. I feel bad after not updating for a long time. Um, so the votes were done when I posted last chapter just to letcha know… But, in case you missed the memo, the official main pairing is NaruxShika so there. If you want other pairings or whatever, feel free to pm me because although I appreciate reviews, sometimes floods of votes can get annoying… No offense. So, you do that reader thing and review please. Criticism is always accepted, but if you want to flame, a warning would be nice (Not that that's happened). Thank you wonderful readers!


	6. Happy Birthday

**Nariko **

**Chapter 6: Happy Birthday **

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**Disclaimer:** We've been through this before…

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**A/N:** I usually don't put these at the beginning, but I need to add that a certain demon will be making an appearance this chapter and her dialogue will be bolded. Sorry for that interruption; won't happen again. Now go on and enjoy this super long chapter I wrote up today…

* * *

Tomorrow was the day. It was the worst day of the year and Nariko feared it. No one at the academy noticed though. No, she made sure her smiling mask was impenetrable. The last thing she wanted was for others to know. Nariko tried to focus on class, but couldn't; there was too much on her mind.

"Naruto! Answer the question!" Iruka yelled at her.

"What?" she asked as she snapped out of her daze.

Most of the class was snickering and whispering 'baka' under their breath.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?"

"No," Nariko replied, "But I have lots on my mind."

"What could be more important than learning so you can become a shinobi?"

Nariko's blue eyes locked onto his.

"Survival."

The class went silent while she got up to leave the classroom.

"I need to leave," she said over her shoulder.

And she slammed the door before either Iruka or Mizuki could stop her.

"They don't understand," she muttered, "Why does this have to happen to me? What did I ever do wrong?"

Nariko took her time to leave the academy. Not only was it safer there, but no one was going to stop her; or so she thought.

"Hey," a lazy voice said, "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't want to talk to you Nara," Nariko retorted without looking back.

"You're going to have to, Miss."

Nariko froze in her tracks.

"What did you call me?" she asked, almost afraid.

Shikamaru walked up to her so no one would be able to hear.

"I know your secret, and unless you want me to tell, you're going to have to answer my question."

Nariko gritted her teeth.

"How did you find out?"

"I knew on the first day," he replied, "I called you a boy just to annoy you, but when you didn't correct me I figured you were undercover."

"Well good for you genius," she grimaced, "I'd think it was too troublesome for you to care."

He just shrugged in response.

"So you want an answer?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just get on with it you troublesome girl."

Nariko refrained from punching him due to the fact that he could blow her cover.

"Do you know what tomorrow is?" she asked.

"October 10th, and some troublesome festival I'm forced to go to every year with my parents," Shikamaru grumbled.

Despite her best interests, Nariko whipped around and slapped her lazy peer on the face.

"Don't you DARE complain about something others wish they had!" she exclaimed.

Shikamaru put up both hands in a sign of surrender. He had learned from his mother that it was best not to anger a female.

"Anyway, tomorrow is my birthday, the worst day in the world."

"How's that?"

Nariko scowled. Every birthday she had had been torture.

"You wouldn't be able to understand."

"Try me."

"Why do you even care?" she asked.

Shikamaru just shrugged.

"Although this should all seem troublesome to me," he began, "It surprisingly isn't. You're different…"

"What gave you that clue?" Nariko snapped, "The fact that I'm disguised as a boy, am NOT a fangirl, or that I whooped the Uchiha?"

When Shikamaru didn't reply, Nariko began again.

"You may think this is a game, trying to get me through blackmail, but you can just drop it now. I don't care who you tell because the villagers aren't going to be as 'kind' this year to me; I just know it."

The blonde stormed off, leaving a confused Shikamaru.

"Troublesome…"

* * *

Nariko ran home, being pelted with rocks and other hard objects along the way.

"Take that demon!" some would yell.

Or, "Tomorrow you're going to die!"

They always were like this around her birthday and she had no clue why. It was obvious that the village hated her but it made no sense. Even if she did survive the next day, Nariko knew her dreams were over. That Nara kid was probably going to tell the teacher. Then there'd be no point. Maybe this year she would actually let the villagers get her…

'No!' she screamed in her mind, 'I can't give up! That's just not me at all…'

But she still doubted that she would be able to keep the life she had, the closest thing to happiness she had ever gotten.

"What do I do?" she asked herself.

She was alone, except for her one friend, but Nariko didn't want to tell Hinata about her life. Nariko was poor and hated among the village while Hinata was exactly the opposite; there was no way she'd drag her only friend into the mess she called life. That was when an idea struck her; Nariko knew what she had to do.

* * *

The next day was filled with joy and happiness for the citizens of Konoha. The festival of the Kyuubi's defeat was even bigger than it had been the year before. The adult people were with their families and rejoicing more than ever before. That was because most of them knew that the monster was going to die that night.

* * *

It was almost dark, and the festival was just getting started. Shikamaru was running through the city, trying to escape his mother. He hated family events; they were just troublesome.

"Why am I always sucked into these things?" he asked out loud.

In less than a minute, he was lost in the poor section of town.

"How troublesome," he muttered.

But looking around, he couldn't see anyone. He had figured that they all had gone to the festival until he saw a mob converging around an apartment building. But it wasn't a regular mob; this one looked ready to kill whoever they were after. Deciding that this was important, Shikamaru went up to a not-so-violent looking person.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Go away kid!" the woman yelled, "It's not safe for you! Who knows what the demon may do to people who get in its way."

"Demon? Shouldn't the ANBU do something about this instead?"

The woman scowled.

"Hokage-san does nothing about it and claims that it is a human child. Now scram!"

He didn't have to be told twice. Shikamaru ran until he hit a shinobi coming forward.

"I'm sorry," Shikamaru said.

"Just get out of here kid," a dark haired man replied.

He nodded and kept moving until he hit and knocked over a brunette about his age.

* * *

The shinobi kept walking towards the apartment complex.

"Move it people!" he commanded.

There were shouts of protest until they saw the man's expression and a bunch of explosive tags in his hands. Then they all cheered. In only moments, part of the apartment blew into flames.

* * *

"Watch where you're going," Shikamaru said to the girl.

She gave him a death glare before standing up again.

"What do you think I was doing? I have to leave now, so don't try to stop me."

He shrugged, not really caring; this whole thing was troublesome. Just then a big explosion of flames came from the apartment building where he had just been. The girl's eye widened at the sight.

"See?" she began, "I have to leave."

Shikamaru didn't argue, but something was familiar about her… It was her tone of voice; it sounded like-

"Naruto?" he whispered, "Or, whatever your name is?"

"What do you want?" she whispered harshly, "I have to leave before they find me."

Before he could answer, she ran off. Still in his confused state, Shikamaru followed.

"What's going on?" he asked as soon as he had caught up to her.

"You saw that explosion? That was my apartment."

His eyes widened.

"You're kidding."

"No. Birthdays are bad, but they've never blown up my home before."

"Is this what you meant yesterday?"

When she didn't reply, he took it as a yes.

"So, what are you planning to do?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I had planned on disguising myself to get away and hide out for a few days. I was going to go to Hokage-sama, but seeing how a shinobi blew up my home…"

The two stopped running soon afterwards since it had been almost three minutes. Now they both were in the center of town.

"Hey…" she panted, "Why'd you follow me?"

"I seriously don't know" he replied in the same manner.

After they regained their breath, Nariko said, "I should leave now; I can't stay in one place for long, especially on my birthday."

"Why does your life have to be like this?" Shikamaru asked, "You should find a solution."

She turned, her blue eyes yet again locking another's.

"I'm going to become the best ninja ever, believe it."

"Troublesome… You have to plan this out more thoroughly. You need to know what to do NOW."

"Why, what would you do Nara?"

But at that moment a villager pushed through the crowd and shouted: "There! It disguised itself as a girl!"

"Looks like they saw through your masquerade," Shikamaru said.

Nariko just nodded before taking off, with the Nara in tow.

"Why do you keep following me 'troublesome boy'?"

"I want to help."

"How can you possibly help?" she asked.

"I know where you can hide. They'll never look at the Hokage mountain, come on!"

* * *

Nariko had never been to the giant monument before in her life. She saw the past Hokages as people who never protected the small people. Never before had she been saved from her more than weekly beating or from her past birthdays. Yes, the Sandaime HAD given her a home (Which was now burning) and some money for food and such, but he never truly gave her help. Now, some boy she had never really known saved her from the angry mob. What next, an unknown being would come to whisk away all her problems? No, that couldn't happen.

"Here we are," he said as soon as they reached the top, "Not many come up here seeing as how you can fall."

"Thank you," she said.

"Appreciations and stuff is too troublesome…"

Nariko was too busy wondering about her future to care that he had muttered his annoying catchphrase.

"Hey," he began, "What's your real name?"

She glanced over to him, rubbing the last dirt out of her hair since she had been discovered.

"Nariko."

"Troublesome…" he grumbled.

"What?" she retorted.

"You do know that those two names don't have much difference, right?"

"Uh…"

"Troublesome…"

"You definitely overuse that word," she replied.

Although she found him and his overuse of the word 'troublesome' annoying, she also found it easier to put up with it. Maybe it was because he saved her or that he was nothing compared to Uchiha.

Fireworks exploded in the sky, and she could hear the happy cheers of the villagers below; they never did that around her.

"Y'know," Nariko began, "This is the first birthday I've had where I haven't come close to dying."

Shikamaru's head snapped over to her.

"It's a good thing, trust me," Nariko replied.

The next few moments were silent, except for the ongoing fireworks.

"Shouldn't you get back to your family?" she asked quietly.

"No. I usually sneak away; my mom knows I don't like festivals. They're too noisy and troublesome."

"What's the festival like?" Nariko asked, "If I try and go down there, I get beaten with sticks, rocks, bottles, glass… pretty much anything nearby."

"Well…" he began, "It's loud, bright, and there's lots of things to buy. But it's all too troublesome because I don't have any money…"

She laughed; he could complain about anything.

* * *

As the night went on, it seemed that a small mob of villagers kept getting bigger and bigger, searching for the demon. But no matter how hard they tried; it was nowhere to be found. That was when Yurashi Makoto stepped in. He had thought that by exploding the demon's home he would kill it, but it wasn't there. No sooner had it been discovered, but some kid helped it get away.

"Ignorant kid," he grumbled under his breath, "I will kill you tonight demon… Be sure of that…"

He had searched most of the places where the demon oculd be hiding but had found nothing. After much thought, he had an idea of where his target was.

"The Hokage mountain…"

* * *

The blonde looked out on the city of Konoha which was now lit with bright, colored lights. It had been the best day of her life, and she owed it all to someone who she barely knew.

"Hey Shikamaru-san?"

"First off, don't call me san; I'm not old. And are you going to ask me another troublesome question?"

"I ws just trying to be polite and the answer is no."

"Ok; what?"

"Well, I-"

She stopped when the boy's eyes widened.

"Get down!" he yelled as a shuriken came whizzing over their heads.

"What the heck was THAT?" she asked.

"Sorry I missed demon. But Yurashi Makoto never lets a target get away."

Both children turned to see the same shinobi who blew up Nariko's home in front of them. Not even his long dark hair could cover the evil grin on his face.

"What do you want?" Shikamaru asked.

"He wants to kill me," Nariko calmly replied.

She stood up to face him, defyance in her eyes. Some force was powering her to stand up to him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shikamaru whispered in her ear, "You're going to get yourself killed!"

The blonde glanced back.

"I'm not sure, but my gut is telling me this is a good idea."

"Move kid; I'm here to get the demon, not you, even if you did help IT out."

Shikamaru backed off from Nariko so he wasn't directly behind her. She didn't blame him; a child against a trained shinobi was more than likely a one-sided fight.

"Get ready to die!" Makoto yelled as he threw several shuriken.

Nariko dove out of the way just in time.

"Get out of here Nara!"

"You need my help."

Nariko couldn't complain because she had to roll out of the way of even more shuriken. Somehow, her reflexes had been hightened and she was able to get out of the way of the fast moving stars. But just as she was missed by the third set, the shinobi was able to get behind her.

"Time to die," he hissed.

'I hope I learned enough to do this,' Shikamaru thought, 'And I've unlocked my chakra coils enough.'

"_Kagemane no Jutsu_!" he yelled.

To everyone's surprise, his shadow shot out and stopped Makoto in his tracks.

"Wow! When'd you learn how to do that?" Nariko exclaimed.

"I was just taught by my dad, but I never was able to pull off the troublesome jutsu. Luckily for you, it worked. Now leave; I'll run out of chakra in only seconds.."

"I'm not leaving you behind." she stated.

"You have to! Now run!"

But it was too late. Shikamaru's mediocre control over his jutsu failed and the enemy was set free. The lazy kid slumped over, tired from using too much of his chakra.

"Leave while you can," he rasped.

Nariko paused.

"Leave you troublesome girl…"

Nariko turned, promising to come back for him when another shuriken grazed her arm.

"Not only am I going to kill you demon," Makoto began, "But I'm going to beat up your little friend too."

Nariko was afraid; she didn't know what to do. If she ran, Shikamaru was going to get the beating of his life. If she stayed, then she would die.

'What do I do?' she frantically asked herself.

**You seem to need some help.**

An unknown voice echoed in her head. It was a dark feminine voice, yet it wasn't totally foreign.

"Who said that?" Nariko said out loud.

"It seems the pressure is making you go insane demon. Don't worry; it won't last much longer," the shinobi teased.

**Do not talk out loud kit. All shall be explained shortly after we dispose of this human.**

Nariko went to respond, but the ominous voice stopped her.

**Listen to me when I talk to you! I am Kyuubi no Kitsune and I live inside you. It was I who saved you from that fireball because if you die, I die. And I don't know about you, but I don't feel like dying anytime soon.**

Makoto made it possible for this conversation to go on because he was slowly advancing, trying to instil fear into the blonde. Her expression was fearful, but it wasn't of him. She had just found out why so many hated her and she had to not die. There was no reason to NOT be afraid.

**Now let me give you power to defeat this human so we can… make arrangements…**

Nariko mentally nodded, remembering not to speak. In only moments, she could feel a surge of power course through her. It felt like fire, yet she didn't burn. Now she felt strong and courageous. Nariko now knew she could take him down.

**Attack him kit.**

Nariko thought it best to obey the nine-tailed fox and charged forward. She was surprisingly fast; even faster than when she fought Sasuke. Then, Nariko thrust her fist into Makoto's jaw, making him fly backwards, almost to the edge of the monument with a sickening crack. The blonde just stared at her fist in amazement.

'I did that?' she thought.

**Yes you did kit. I'm surprised you didn't try to just knock him out by hitting him in the gut. Many human children are too soft.**

'What makes you think I'd be soft?' Nariko thought back.

**He could possibly be dead.**

'I don't care. He tried to kill me and possibly Shikamaru-kun too.'

If thoughts could grin (evilly I might add), then that's what Kyuubi no Kitsune was doing at the moment.

**You have a dark heart kit.**

Nariko visibly shuddered.

**You'll get used to it.**

Ignoring the fox, Nariko rushed over to her new friend.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, you're troublesome, you know that?"

She frowned.

"You need to go home."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I… I'll be fine."

After seeing how hard she was able to punch him, Shikamaru decided that it was best that he didn't argue with the girl. Nariko had slung his right arm over her shoulder when Makoto got up from the edge of the cliff. He didn't talk, due to the fact that he couldn't; half of his jaw was impacted. Bloody, bony bits were stickign out of his flesh as he tried to attack again.

"I don't want to fight you!" Nariko admitted, "Or should I say, I don't want to kill you. Please, just stand down."

But the persistent shinobi didn't listen. He had run out of shuriken to throw so he fell back on ninjutsu. One of the handsigns looked familiar…

**It's a fire jutsu! You better move it kit, or your friend is toast.**

With that fact in mind, there was only one decision she could make that would save them both.

"Brace yourself!" she yelled.

Nariko ran for the edge of the Hokage mountain. As flames and the monument rushed past, only one word fould be heard:

"Troublesome!..."

**

* * *

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**A/N:** So that is the super long chapter I wrote up during my snow day. It's not super, and I got the timeframe wrong-ish, but I don't think it's horrible (Or I hope not)... Well, it's Valentine's Day (Not that I actually like this holiday) so why not introduce Shikamaru as a character? Anyway, I wasn't really sure where I was going with this and it kind of wrote itself. Thus, the long length and the cliffhanger (or cliff jumper; which ever one you prefer). So, there you go. I'm not sure if I can ever write another long chapter, but hey, it could happen… So, wonderful readers, until next time!


	7. Meeting the Naras

**Nariko **

**Chapter 7: Meeting the Naras**

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**Disclaimer:** Blah, blah, blah, you know this already… blah, blah, blah…

* * *

"Troublesome!..." Shikamaru yelled as they fell down the mountain.

"What do I do?! What do I do?!" Nariko repeatedly said at the same time.

**Stupid kit! You were supposed to dodge to your RIGHT, not off the cliff! Now focus your chakra to your legs NOW.**

Nariko had no clue on what to do, but she figured that if she didn't try, they would die for sure. Quickly, she moved Shikamaru so she was holding him bridal style (And it was quite awkward too, especailly since he was taller). In only moments, they had crashed through the canopies of trees. She was afraid that the cracking noises she heard weren't the breaking tree branches but bones.

"You are so troublesome, know that?" Shikamaru yelled as splintered wood whizzed by, cutting both of them all over.

"Shut up pineapple head!" Nariko yelled back, "You better be praying that I can land on my feet!"

Since the layers of tree branches had slowed the two down quite a bit, Nariko was able to turn enough so her feet were facing down. The blonde landed on her feet, red chakra stopping the shockwave from the ungraceful impact, though not stopping the pain completely. As soon as the red glow disappeared, Nariko's legs shook and she toppled over.

'Oh Kami! We need to keep moving!' Nariko thought.

**Who needs a God when an all powerful demon is inside you?**

'That hurt… but it's better than dying.'

**It sure as Hell is! Now get up kit, and run.**

'I don't think I can.'

**Do it now! If we die, I shall personally eat your soul.**

She didn't really have a choice anyway. Nariko was sure that Makoto would come after them anyway.

"Shikamaru-kun, are you ok?" she asked.

"Troublesome girl, since when were we friends?"

Nariko so wanted to hit him right then.

"Let's see… We just jumped off the Hokage Mountain and are alive. Also, a trained shinobi is after us so yeah, I think that qualifies."

"We have to get moving Nariko-_chan_," he replied.

She nodded, and tried to stand. Of course, after falling what seemed like at least 1,000 feet and landing made it difficult.

"I can stand but, I'm not sure if I can carry you this time."

"Whatever, I should be fine. It's not like I fell off a cliff, wait, I did."

"Fine lazy, let the psycopath with an impacted jaw attack you."

Nariko started to slowly walk away when he called out to her.

"You seriously wouldn't leave me here, would you?" Shikamaru asked.

Her normally foxy grin assured him that the answer was 'no'. Turning back, Nariko went to pick up her friend.

"Is it just me, or are you heavier?"

His arm was slung over her shoulder again and the two began to walk away.

"We should just hide," Shikamaru suggested.

The blonde shook her head.

"No; we have too much blood on us so he'll find us maybe…"

"A maybe's better than the fact that he'll catch us no problem at this pace."

**Stupid human; mere children cannot hide from a trained tracker Chunnin.**

"Yeah but, he's a tracker Chunnin and will find us so we better keep moving."

Nariko kept going at her slow, painful pace, foot by foot.

"How'd you know he's a tracker?" Shikamaru asked.

"Uh… his skill level?" Nariko guessed.

He just sighed, knowing that she didn't actually know.

"Fine, then let's get out of here."

"Right! We'll get out of this, believe it!"

They had been going forward for a while now, and the crowds of the festival weren't far. If they could just get there…

'We're going too slow! How do I go fast?'

**You're asking me?**

The blonde mentally growled at the female demon's sarcasm.

'Tell me or he'll catch up and then we're going to say hi to Shinigami.'

Nariko shuddered at the menecing growl that came from the pit of her stomach. In other words; the fox was angry.

**You've got guts kid.**

'Well, I DO have a dark heart after all now, don't I?'

She had figured that using sarcasm was fine since not only was she right, but the demon couldn't do anything to her body.

**Fine. Just focus your chakra to your legs and run. Don't they teach you these things at the academy? Pitiful humans can't teach their own kind anything…**

Nariko focused what chakra she could (using the limited control she had period) to her legs. Praying that it would work, she began to run. But she had no clue what would happen, and that one step sprang her and Shikamaru into a tree.

"What the heck happened?"

"I tried to go faster…"

"Well, it would help if you didn't slam into trees."

Looking at the tree, she noticed that there was a large dent into where they had impacted, including some blood. She just whispered a 'heh' as she tried to take off again.

"Here goes nothing!"

And off they went. This time, they barely missed another tree. Although both of them kept getting hit by various branches because of Nariko's lack of control on where they were going (Which did NOT make a very pleasant Shikamaru), they were making excellent distance.

"See? I'm getting better," Nariko stated as they went through a spiderweb.

"Barely," Shikamaru mumbled.

"Well, we're going faster than if we were walking, even running."

"Aren't you getting tired from chakra exaustion?" he asked, "Like I did?"

After a moment of silence, she replied, "Yeah… now that you mention it, you ran out of this chakra stuff pretty fast…"

"Well, kagemane no jutsu takes a lot more energy than-"

"Saving us from going splat off a cliff?"

He didn't reply.

'Haha! I totally out-worded him!' she thought triumphantly.

**Stupid human…**

The blonde pouted, not liking her 'victory' destroyed. Finally the two made it to the crowd from the festival. Unfortunately, they couldn't stop.

"Hey, how do I stop?" Nariko asked out loud.

"You don't know how to stop?!"

"Nope."

But she had used up most of her chakra and they had slowed down to a regular jog. Nariko knew that stopping immediately would cramp up her legs and they couldn't move again (from experience) so she did just what she did on the mountain.

Coming to an open space where there were almost no people, she jumped to the side and rolled in the dirt to a stop.

"Great plan," Shikamaru mumbled.

"Believe it!" she yelled, ignoring his sarcasm, "But… what do we do now genius?"

"We should find someone we can trust. I never thought I'd say this but, I need to find my parents."

"Ok, but first, I need to spit out all of this dirt and blood in my mouth."

She slowly got up and spit out a mouthful of blood and dirt.

"That's just disgusting you troublesome girl."

Nariko pulled out her foxy grin again.

"Could you refer to me as Naruto please? I'm still trying to keep my cover as a boy."

"After all of that, you're still going to disguise yourself?"

"Yup. This birthday is just more life threatening than the others because an actual ninja has tried to kill me. Oh, and don't forget that my home blew up."

"You're taking this well…"

"I hate my life," she said matter-o-factly, "Except for being a ninja. And if I lose that, then there's really no point in living."

**You wouldn't have the guts to kill yourself; not that I'd let you.**

"Stop interrupting!" she harshly whispered.

"What?" Shikamaru asked.

"Nothing that concerns you pineapple-head."

"Pineapple-head? How troublesome…"

She made a face at him.

"It's not MY fault your hair looks like a fruit, er, did…"

"Troublesome… let's just go look for my parents."

* * *

The two dishevled, bloody, dirt-covered six-year-olds walked through the streets of Konoha. Their quest to find the rest of the Nara family was a failure.

"This isn't working," Nariko stated.

"That was obvious…"

They looked all over the festival grounds, or as far as six-year-olds can look.

"We should split up."

"And what if that crazy shinobi attacks us?" Shikamaru asked.

After a period of silence, she asked, "Why haven't we just gone to your house already? Or the Hokage?"

"…"

* * *

Nara Shikaku and Yoshino were just waiting around the house for their son to finally come home when there came a knock at the door.

"That's probably him," Yoshino stated.

"Don't answer it; it'll teach him to stop being so troublesome during the Kyuubi Festival."

She ignored her husband and answered the door. She had expected her son but instead found two grimy boys who were a bit bloodied up.

"Hi Mom," one of them said.

"Shikamaru? Is that you?"

"Yeah, and this is my trou- I mean friend Naruto."

"Shikaku…" she called, "Could you come here?"

* * *

Nariko and Shikamaru were both getting a talking to by Yoshino. She was saying that children shouldn't wander far and blah, blah, blah… It seemed that as soon as they had knocked on the door, she had decided that it was important for them to go to the hospital immediately. Nariko didn't even get a chance to mention that the hospital never let her in…

"Excuse me Nara-sama," Nariko began, "Shouldn't we tell you what happened?"

But the woman didn't even seem to hear her and kept on ranting. This caused both males and Nariko to sweatdrop.

"Uh…" Nariko tried to interject again, "I'm not allowed at the hospital so-"

But once again, she wouldn't listen.

"Getting her attention on one of her rants is almost impossible," Shikamaru whispered, "How troublesome…"

"Shikamaru!" Yoshino yelled, "You listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

"I think they were trying to tell you something," Shikaku said, trying not to get into the mess.

"Like what?!" she yelled.

"Well, you said we were going to the hospital and Naruto isn't allowed."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that…"

They were at the hospital and Yoshino went up to the lady at the counter.

"You're mom is scary," Nariko whispered to Shikamaru.

He shrugged.

"You get used to it."

They looked over to see an arguing receptionist and Nara Yoshino. Shikaku was making sure that he was well out of his wife's fury… The angered woman came back to her family and Nariko.

"They said they'll take care of Shikamaru, but not you Naruto. No matter what happened, they should still take care of anyone, especially children."

She looked them over.

"And you look the most beaten up too."

"Me?" Nariko asked, "But I didn't do that much."

Shikamaru scoffed at her.

"What?" Nariko asked, "You were the one were the one who did that super cool jut- ow! What was that for?"

He had stepped on her foot to make her stop talking.

"And THAT'S the thanks I get for saving you?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned away.

"Fine."

She then saw something in the corner of her eye. It was a dark haired shinobi with bloodied bandages all over the lower half of his face who seemed to be coming in to have it checked. He stopped and looked at her. The blonde nudge Shikamaru with her elbow. He turned and saw Makoto, their previous attacker too.

"Don't move," he whispered, "My dad's a jonnin and will stop him, and he knows it."

But instead, he changed directions towards the two children.

"We should run," Nariko whispered back, "I think he REALLY wants to kill me. Especially since I shattered his jaw…"

"Just keep your cool like nothing happened."

"How can I if he's going to attack?"

Makoto approached them, but didn't show any signs of aggression. He now had paper and pen in his hand. As he came forward, he wrote something on it. Politely, he tapped on Shikaku's shoulder.

"Hello Yurashi-dono."

He slightly bowed, motioning that he couldn't speak. He then held out the paper on which he had written. It said:

"Excuse me, but the child Uzumaki Naruto is to be taken to the Hokage by me. He and your son fought me, not knowing that I was a friend, and thus I must write on this paper. I am sorry for any inconvenience."

Shikaku nodded.

"Ok, Naruto, according to this message, you are to go with Yurashi-dono to the Hokage."

"No freaking way!" she yelled, "That guy wants to murder me!"

Her exclamation earned many comments like: 'It's about time,' or 'It's not dead yet?'

"Leave me alone. Or at least leave my friend alone!"

She went to leave until a hand stopped her. Nariko turned to see Shikamaru there.

"Running will only make this worse; just wait," he told her.

The people in the hospital were now angry; they didn't like a person who liked to kill children (Seeing as how Nariko didn't count as a child, this was actually could make sense in their simple minds).

Makoto tried to explain that it was a lie, but a comment from Shikamaru turned that garbage into nul.

"It's true," he said, "That man tried to kill me after I saved her from a giant mob and explsives."

With one punch, Shikaku knocked out the shinobi.

"Let's get out of here," he said, "It's really starting to get troublesome."

* * *

After leaving the hospital, both Nariko and Shikamaru told what had happened.

"How troublesome," Shikaku stated, "That's what you are."

'At least I know where he gets it from…' Nariko thought.

"Well, I have to go see the Hokage now," Nariko said.

After looking her up and down, Yoshino said, "You're still covered in blood and dirt. I think this can wait. Those wounds will get infected if you don't do anything."

"Thanks but since my home blew up, I need to get some new arrangements. And besides, I'm a fast healer, to the mob of villager's dismay."

A firm grab on the wrist told Nariko that she wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

After washing up, Nariko was surprised that her clothing had a giant bloody gash going up the side.

"No wound or scar?"

**Haven't you ever wondered why you heal so fast?**

'Oh, it's you.'

**I saved your life along with your new 'friend's'! Be grateful kit!**

'You mean YOUR life,' she mentally retorted, 'Besides, why did you say friend so sarcastically?'

**The people you call friends, once they find out about me, they'll hate you just as much as the villagers.**

'I doubt it.'

**Just you wait kit… just you wait…**

When the fox didn't say anything for a while, Nariko decided that she wasn't going to do the 'talk' she had wanted to have. Not that Nariko minded; talking to an inner demon was a bit creepy…

"Hey, Nariko," Shikamaru said through the door, "Are you done yet?"

"Yup! And I don't have a single wound. How about you?"

He just moaned a reply that meant, 'a lot'.

Nariko came out of the bathroom wearing her tattered and blood-stained clothes.

"So, did your mom make that big a deal out of it."

He just nodded.

Nariko laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be ok; be strong, be strong…" she joked, "It can't be worse than jumping off a cliff, right?"

He just shrugged.

"Won't it be exciting to tell everyone about this at the academy? I bet we'll be even more popular than Uchiha!"

He just moaned again.

"Just don't wear those clothes tomorrow," he stated, "Then you'll be a drama queen and win the love of some girls for being so 'courageous'."

Nariko shuddered; she DID NOT want other girls to have a crush on her.

"But it's the only clothing I own…"

"Are you kidding?"

"Remember, explosion?"

Shikamaru sighed. Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day…

* * *

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry it took over a week ot write this one. Yeah, I know it's not a long time, but still… This is a long chapter and it didn't really come out as well as I thought, or as short… Yeha, I know there was a lot of dialogue and this chapter was a bit pointless except for the beginning; forgive me? If you have any comments, feel free to voice them. Oh, and please review non-reviewing readers. I know it's hard, but please? Please? Please? Heh, I don't think begging works, does it? If it does, I should try it on my other fanfic then…

'Til next time!

Amei


	8. The Issue

**Nariko **

**Chapter 8: The Issue **

**- **

**- **

**Disclaimer:** See chapters 1-7

-

Nariko and Shikamaru went to the academy the next morning, much to the dismay of Yoshino. She had gone on yet another rant on how children should not have to go to school after such a traumatic experience. An since she stayed overnight (because she had no home left), Nariko had to deal with it for a whole night…

"This is so troublesome," Shikamaru groaned.

She glanced over, wishing he'd stop saying that. Would it kill him to say something new once and a while?

"But won't it be AWESOME telling everyone what happened last night? We'll be idolized, believe it!"

"Would you stop saying 'believe it'?" he asked, "It gets on my nerves."

The blonde pouted.

"As soon as you stop saying 'troublesome' in almost every sentence…"

Shikamaru just glared and muttered 'troublesome' under his breath. When they entered the academy grounds, few people noticed the two.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata called as she ran up to her.

She looked confusedly between her friend and Shikamaru, wondering why they were together.

Shikamaru sighed, not wanting to explain anything. But although he didn't have to speak, that meant Nariko would.

"You wouldn't BELIEVE what happened last night!" Nariko exclaimed to Hinata, not thinking about the others around them.

"Could you have said that any louder?" Sasuke mocked, along with a whole bunch of fangirls who mimicked him.

"Yes, I could. Now butt out Uchiha," Nariko ordered.

"Why you little-"

She waved a finger in front of him.

"Do I have to beat you again to make you shut up?"

**It was actually me you know.**

'Just go with it!' she thought.

**Why should I?**

Sasuke interrupted the secret, silent conversation.

"Oh PLEASE. Someone like you could never become something great you teme."

The kids who had gathered around 'oohed' when the swear was spoken.

**Stupid human.**

'Yeah!'

"Besides," Sasuke began again, "You fight like a girl; shameless with no form to it, just random punches. And everyone knows that boys just are stronger. I mean, just about every great shinobi was a guy."

Nariko raged along side the Kyuubi at this statement.

**I'm female, and am more powerful than any who cross my path!**

'That gaki is going to pay for that comment!'

Shikamaru and Hinata eyed her, wondering what she was going to say next.

'I so want to pound him in the dust that arrogant- urgh!' she thought, 'And just because he has everything I don't doesn't mean he can slander me like that!'

"Well, are you going to say anything, or are you too scared?" Sasuke challenged.

Nariko gave him an indifferent expression.

"Oh, what? Were you talking to me?"

It took a few seconds for it to sink in.

"YOU WEREN'T LISTENING TO ME?" he exploded.

"Nope."

The fangirls proceeded to yell at her for not paying attention to their 'precious' Sasuke. While they were arguing, Nariko slyly slid away from the crowd, moving to the tree in the yard, motioning for her friends to follow. Both the Hyuuga and Nara shoved past the fangirls, also finding the safety of the tree's shade. There they found Nariko, trying not to laugh.

"That wasn't very funny," Shikamaru said, "It was-"

"Troublesome?" Nariko joked.

He didn't reply.

"Naruto-kun, what was it you were going to tell me?" Hinata asked.

The blonde brightened up.

"I'll tell you what happened! It was the best birthday ever! Do you know why?"

She shook her head.

"Someone actually helped me this year form the angry mob of villagers."

Hinata's pale eyes widened.

"You get chased every year?"

"Yeah. They try to kill me more than all the other days."

"That's horrible!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Yeah. And I had this shirt with a giant bloody gash on it, but Shikamaru-kun's mom threw it out when I was sleeping and made me wear one of his shirts."

The explanation Nariko had given hadn't made it any clearer to Hinata at all.

"Troublesome… let me explain," Shikamaru offered, "There's no way she's going to know what happened if you tell it to her like that."

"Fine."

So Shikamaru started retelling what had happened that past night.

-

The story had taken all of the before-school time and quite a crowd had accumulated. It seemed that all of the guys who weren't trying to be Uchiha's friend had gathered around. Nariko and Hinata were the only girls, seeing as the fangirls were everyone else.

"And that, is what happened," Shikamaru finished.

He looked around at the crowd of six-year-olds that had gathered. Nariko just grinned, pleased that their story had attracted a lot of attention.

"Is it true?" one of them asked, "I can't believe that you guys survived a fall from Hokage Mountain."

"It is!" Nariko exclaimed, "I was there."

She grinned at her joke, along with a few others. Just then, the bell rang for them to go inside. All of the students went in, though unwilling to pay attention in class.

-

It was lunch and recess time. Nariko was still frowning at her poor grade from a quiz they had just taken.

"A 'D'? I could've sworn I did better than that!" she exclaimed, "What did you two get?"

She looked between Hinata and Shikamaru, waiting for an answer.

"I got a 'B'," Hinata said, looking down shamefully.

Nariko's jaw dropped.

"How'd you get such a high grade on such a hard test!" she began, then looking to her other friend, "Don't tell me you passed with flying colors like Uchiha or Haruno who brag like their lives depended on it."

He shrugged.

"Same as you; tests are too troublesome…"

While they were eating, a boy approached them. He had brown messy hair, along with two red triangles on his face, one beneath each eye. The three looked at him.

"Hi," Nariko said, breaking the silence.

"Hey," he said, "You know what you said this morning? That was so awesome! How'd you do that?"

"I don't think you can," Nariko replied, "Besides, it involves focusing chakra and stuff… I think…"

All eyes turned on the blonde.

"What?" she asked.

"You jumped with me, not knowing what you were supposed to do? Troublesome…"

Nariko let out a small, forced laugh.

**Stupid kit…**

'Why do you always have to say that?!" Nariko violently thought back.

**Because I can, and it's true.**

Sighing, she leaned back, forgetting that she would fall off the bench.

"I'm ok!" she said while getting up.

"Troublesome…"

"Would you stop saying that!"

-

Hinata was nervous. She couldn't belive what Nariko and Kiba, the boy who had approached them, had planned. She knew she should have protested more, but the thought hadn't occurred to her then.

'I'm too shy sometimes…' she thought.

Of course, Shikamaru had said it was too troublesome to care about, so he hadn't protested either. Both Kiba and Nariko had planned a prank on Uchiha, and it wasn't very nice.

_Flashback _

_"So, Naruto, do you hate Uchiha too?" Kiba had asked after introducing himself. _

_"Yeah! He acts like he's sooooooo much better than the rest of us; jerk." _

_"Then why don't we play a little prank on him?" _

_A foxlike grin appeared on the blonde's face. _

_"Like what?" _

_Shikamaru just groaned and proceeded to look at the clouds. _

_"Are you sure you should do this?" Hinata had asked. _

_Both of them turned towards her. _

_"Well, DUH," they both said. _

_"If you don't like it though," Kiba began, "You might want to not listen so you won't get in trouble…" _

_Nariko nodded. _

_"Yeah, even if you are too nice to do something like that. But if you want, you can join." _

_She had shaken her head; she didn't want to be mean at all to anybody. The last she had seen of the two was when they walked into the classroom a little early… _

_End Flashback _

As Sasuke came inside, Nariko snickering quickly ended. Kiba hadn't come back to class yet, so the blonde was alone in her unknown joke. The Uchiha glared at her before sitting down. Almost immediately, he stood right back up, pulling three bloody tacks off himself. But Nariko hadn't began to laugh; it wasn't over yet. But Sasuke didn't know that yet. He began to walk over to her, suspecting that his rival, 'Naruto', would have something to do with this. But before he got there, he failed to miss a trip wire. As he fell, some blue, liquidish substance in a bucket came spilling down.

'So they suspended something on the ceiling,' Hinata thought, 'How'd they do that?'

"I'm going to kill you Uzumaki!" he exclaimed.

Nariko just smiled at him.

"You want to destroy me with fire for doing nothing again? Shameful…"

He glared at her, making it even harder for her to control her laughter. Sasuke tried to get up, but slipped in the oily substance. The door burt open, and in came a panting Kiba, holding a bag full of something moving… He looked at Sasuke on the floor, then to Nariko, then back to Sasuke.

"Kiba, get over here," Nariko said.

"I wish I was here to see him fall in that oil…"

"Don't forget the thumbtacks," she added.

"I knew it was you!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Kiba walked over to the blonde, but not before slipping on the oil himself, spilling the bag's contents all over the room. Girls screamed while most of the boys (and Nariko) laughed at the girls for screaming.

"FROGS?!" Nariko exclaimed in the confusion, "Why frogs?!"

The amphibians leapt across the room, earning screams from the girls.

"What about this stuff?!" Kiba yelled back, "What the heck is it anyway?!"

"Well, I was GOING to get glue or syrup like you planned but…"

"But what?"

"First, I have no money. Second, the villagers… nevermind, frogs?!"

This argument went between both children for a while as the girls still screamed.

"Well, do you have the smoke?" Kiba asked.

Nariko nodded.

"Then use it! We gotta leave this place!" Kiba yelled.

But it was too late; both Iruka and Mizuki entered the room.

"What is going on here?!" both teachers yelled.

All of the students pointed at Kiba and Nariko. Panicking, she used the smoke bombs, trying to get cover to leave. But they ended up just blowing up in their face.

"You've got some explaining to do," Mizuki said to both soot covered kids.

-

Nariko kept running her lap around Konoha. She and Kiba had been punished for their haywire prank. It had gone wrong, that was for sure.

'It was funny while it lasted…' Nariko thought, 'We shoulda just stuck with the tacks and liquid…'

They had been talked to about how they were bad and should never do something like that, especially to someone who's aprt of a respected clan and blah, blah, blah…

**You're right for once; you shouldn't have tried that last part.**

'I know, I know… what are you, my Kaa-san?' Nariko thought back.

**I might as well be you gaki. Why it had to be you I was put in is beyond me…**

'Hey, it's better than Uchiha.'

**Oh please. At least he's got a brain and skills. The only thing you have is a knack for retorts.**

'Not true!' she thought.

The Kyuubi ignored her feeble attempt at a comeback, proving that she had no talents at all.

'Hey,' Nariko began, 'Why are you nice to me? I mean, shouldn't the Kyuubi no Kitsune be a bit more threatening?'

The fox snorted at her.

**You are my vessel. I only need you to stay live.**

'Admit it,' Nariko replied, 'You don't hate me.'

**Ha! You've got to be kidding me.**

The blonde sighed as she ended her long lap. She then began to walk towards the Hokage tower; she needed to find a new place to live. On the way, villagers were once again showing their hatred, angry that she hadn't died the night before. Men at the bar were throwing empty, and not empty beer bottles at her while the women corralled their children away.

Nariko tried not to make eye contact, keeping her gaze on the ground. The villagers went on to call her demon as usual on her trip to the tower. She walked to the great building, ready to enter, when someone called out to her. Nariko turned to see a group of 3 men with clubs in hand.

"Hey demon, yesterday you got lucky. Now we're going to get you."

She went to run to the tower, when she was cut off by more of the gang.

'What do I do?' Nariko asked, 'They're going to get me!'

**Remember last night kit?**

She nodded.

**It'll be the same thing, but with a few more people.**

'Do I have to? Is it right to fight back?'

**It's fight back or possibly die. Choose!**

Nariko knew what she had to do. She balled her hands into fists, getting ready to fight. The man behind her attacked, swinging the stick in his hand at her head. Using some of the skills from the academy, Nariko was able to dodge the attacks. Focusing some chakra into her left hand, the blonde threw her fist into the man's face. He was pretty big, and the impact only made him fall back a few steps, but the right side of his face was bloodied up. It wasn't as bad as when she fought Makoto the night before, but it still was something.

"It fights back!" the leader yelled, "Take your children away before it kills them!"

Nariko was hurt. She would never kill someone. Yes, she would beat them up, but only if it endangered herself.

**Heads up kit; one's coming after you.**

Nariko dove into the dirt as the leader swung his club over her head. She got up, but was quickly knocked down as the other two beat her into the dust.

"That'll teach you!" one exclaimed.

"Die demon, die!" said the other.

All of the villagers, and the few ninja around, cheered for her death.

'Why are they so creul?' Nariko asked, 'Why, why, why?'

**Get up kit! Get up or you'll die.**

'I can't,' she replied, 'I just can't…'

**Do it. I'm healing you already; you'll be fine.**

The men let up on their beating, letting the villagers cheer at the 'defeat' of the demon. The blonde was a bloody mess, and it was no wonder they gave her up for dead.

**Get up now!**

Nariko twitched, sadness and anger flowing through her. Everyone hated her. The only people she could trust were her two friends, and possibly the rest of the Naras. Everyone else wanted her dead. She hadn't done anything to deserve this. They said she was a monster, but it was their own fault. They hated her and that would never change. Not even the Hokage liked her. Why else would he wait in his tower as she was being beaten?

The blonde rose form the ground, silencing the cheers from the ground.

"It's not dead yet?!" the gang's leader exclaimed, "Get it boys!"

The three men went after her, ready to kill. The same burning feeling that she had felt the night before coursed through her. Thinking a silent 'thank you' to the Kyuubi, Nariko went on the offense.

-

It had been pure luck that Nariko had won. Actually, she owed it all to the Kyuubi who had helped her beat the men. All four of them were unconcious on the ground, covered in their own blood. The rest of the villagers were furious with this outcome, wanting to attack, but not wanting to end up like the gang members.

**I didn't know you had it in you.**

'You mean you?' Nariko asked.

Several shinobi came up to the scene. They looked at the bloody men, then to Nariko.

"You," one of them said to her, "Did you do this?"

Before she could answer, angry replies form the crowd answered for her.

"Demon," he hissed, "Only something like you would beat up defenseless citizens and let them bleed on the street."

"But they were going to kill me," she reasoned, "If I did nothing, then I would be dead…"

"So?"

She felt betrayed again. As an orphan, the village was supposed to be like her family, and they all wanted her dead. Wanting to leave before it got bad, she sprinted into the forest. Even the trees seemed to be attacking her.

**Kit, you have problems in life.**

Nariko would have replied, had she not been crying.

-

**A/N:** Sorry it took over a week to write, but I've been busy lately. Um, this chapter didn't really go anywhere, so sorry. But it's better than no chapter, right? Well, I hate to say it, but I may not update for a while now because I want to finish up my other fanfic, 'Things That Should Never Happen', which is near the end. Or I want to at least want to get NEAR the end of that chapter. Well, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, feel free to put them in a review or PM me. Until then, **review! **


	9. Kaasan

**Nariko **

**Chapter 9: Kaa-san **

**- **

**- **

**Disclaimer:** If you want to read disclaimers that all say the same thing, then ask me to make a disclaimer fanfic, sheesh!

-

It was dark, she was wet from tears and blood, cold, not to mention homeless. Nariko sat by a pond, crying her little eyes out. Nariko had known that they had hated her, but not to the point of killing her for defending herself. But the reason was no mystery; everything made sense now, even to her seven-year-old self.

"It's all your fault," she said, "It's all your fault Kyuubi no Kitsune; you ruined my life."

The fox didn't reply to her.

"I know you're there!" she exclaimed, "You're merged with me for some reason, reply or I'll kill myself!"

**That's a bit extreme kit.**

"I knew that'd get you to say something," she said.

"It was going to happen sooner or later anyways," she added quietly.

**You blame me when it's actually those closed-minded villager's fault. Don't kill yourself because of them; why not make their lives Hell instead?**

The blonde didn't reply. She wanted to kill them so badly, to get revenge for almost killing her on more than one occasion. But… it would be wrong.

"I can't," she verbally replied, "Hokages, present or future can't kill their people."

**So you're going to defend those who have tried to kill you, correct?**

Nariko clenched her fists in anger. The fox was right; she wanted them dead. But doing so would be going against her morals.

"No, stop trying to make me evil!" she exclaimed, "I won't do it!"

**I'm not TRYING to do anything kit; I'm just looking out for you.**

Nariko rolled her moist eyes at that comment.

"Like you care."

**I'm not evil, believe it or not. I'm just a bit vengeful and morbid at times…**

"Then why the heck did you attack Konoha and ruin my life?" she demanded.

The Kyuubi didn't respond. The blonde was getting irritated at the youkai's silentness. Finally the great fox spoke.

**It is not a tale you would like to hear kit.**

"And neither is having my village try to assasin me because of you."

**Fine, I will tell you; but under two conditions. You must not interrupt me and that I am not forced to repeat myself.**

Nariko agreed, and the Kyuubi began her tale.

-

It was a warm clear night, and I was hunting for my kit. It was nothin unusual about that night, not yet. As I got closer to my den, I found the horrid smell of blood. I broke into a run for my kit, afraid of the truth that was in store for me. When I enterd, I found the bloody lifeless carcas of my kit. I won't try to scar your young mind with details, but… it was a horrible sight to see. As a mother, I ran over to her body, trying to find a sign that she was still alive. While there, I smelled another scent; man. Looking around, I found him escaping while I was distracted by my kit. I don't remember much about him since my kit's blood was everywhere, but I did see a shining hitai-ate with the leaf symbol on it. Immediately, I blew up in rage and charged towards the village to get my revenge on that man. I wasn't thinking and just tore through everything in my path to find him. Of course, the nin of the village fought hard against me, but it wasn't enough. That is when I believe the fourth Hokage of your village sealed me into you. And after all those years, here we are.

-

The fox waited while the blonde took all the information all in. After a while, she spoke.

**Now who's the silent one?**

The blond paused before speaking.

"So it's not your fault, but the fourth Hokage's that my life is miserable?"

**Yes, from what I can see.**

"Why would a Hokage do that to me and make my life miserable?"

**I'm not very good with human culture, but I believe it is because he wanted what was best for all of Konoha.**

"Does that mean I'm not part of this village?"

**I am not good with human affairs, but in any kitsune clan, if one is hated by all then they are no longer one of us.**

There was along period of silence once again.

"W-what's it like to be a youkai?" she asked.

**That is a strange question, like if I asked you what it was like to be human.**

"I don't know," she replied, "I'm not treated like one, so I'm not."

Kyuubi felt pity for the girl. No child should go through that, even if they were a weak human. She also felt that her vessel's personality was painfully much like her dead kit's.

**Can I make an offer to you kit?**

"What is it?"

**Because I am sealed within you, my chakra merges with yours. Eventually you will become a hanyou, and possible quite close to a full-blooded youkai.**

She didn't reply.

**When I am released, with your help of course, I will turn you into one of my clan and take you away from this place you call home.**

Nariko thought it over.

'I could finally have a family…' she thought.

Just the thought of finding a better life filled her with joy, more tears threatening to come out of her eyes.

"Th-th-thank you," she said.

**Stop; you're acting pathetic. I may not be evil, but I'm not tolerant to tears.**

Nariko quickly wiped her eyes.

"What should I do?" she asked.

**Go to that nearby cave, it will provide a decent shelter.**

The blonde complied and went to the small cave near the pond. The rocks were covered with moss, inside and out. The inside was crowded by a whole bunch of other rocks. Walking past the jagged rocks, Nariko found a large area with a roof that was high enough that a taller man wouldn't get a concussion.

"This is great!" Nariko exclaimed, her voice echoing throughout the walls.

It was much nicer than her apartment, not to mention cleaner too even if it was just a cave.

"But dark…" she added.

The only light came from the sun coming in through the opening, leaving the cave to be quite dim.

**This is why I will teach you one of your first jutsu.**

Nariko began quite excited, jumping up and down at the thought.

"What is it?"

**It's a simple fire jutsu close to what you humans use. It's like regualr fire, but when you have kitsune blood, it uses very little chakra when you are able to control it. It's called Kitsune Kaen **(Fox Flame)

After many hours, Nariko was able to light her new home.

-

Shikamaru leaned against the tree in the academy yard. Nariko hadn't come to the academy for the past few days. He didn't understand why she hadn't shown up, but he figured it was none of his business. Hinata cautiously came up to shikamaru while he was looking at the clouds.

"E-e-excuse me," she began.

Althought Hinata didn't stutter around Nariko, she still felt uncomfortable with the lazy boy.

"H-h-have you s-seen her today?" she finished.

He shook his head.

"I haven't seen her for a few days," he replied.

"Oh…"

"Hey guys!" a loud voice called to the two.

They turned to find their blonde friend running up to them. When she reached them, she put on her usual foxy grin.

"How're you doing?" she asked in her normal energetic mannor.

Both stared at her. Nariko gave them a puzzled look before passing it off as nothing. Hinata was lost for words and looked like she was going to faint while Shikamaru tried to advert his eyes.

"What the heck is wrong?!" she demanded.

"Have you noticed what you're wearing?" Shikamaru asked.

"Uh, clothes?"

He groaned. Nariko thought that she would come back to her friends later after she told their senseis that she had come back.

"I'll be back!" she yelled before running off.

She ran over to Iruka and Mizuki who were over looking the students.

"Iruka-sensei! Mizuki-sensei!" she called, "I'm back! Your BEST student ever, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Both chunin looked over at her and took a doubletake.

"Naruto?!" Iruka asked, "What happened to you?"

She pouted.

"What is everyone's problem today? Am I diseased or something?" she demanded.

**Kit, I think it has to do with your clothes.**

The blonde looked down and realized what was wrong. Her clothes were covered in soot from her failed attempts at making fire and her own blood from the attack only days ago.

She mouthed a silent 'oh'.

"I'm ok," she began, "Actually, I've never been better."

She confirmed this with a big smile. Ever since Kyuubi's promise, she had been much happier. When the teachers didn't reply, she just ran back over to her friends.

"So, get it yet?" Shikamaru asked.

"Heh…" she mumbled.

"Where d-d-did all that blood c-c-come from?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, all this?" Nariko asked, "Um… I don't kow who they are, but some thugs who tried to beat me to death along with my own."

They way she said it in that upbeat tone was just plain creepy.

"So…" Nariko began, not knowing what to say.

**I can tell that today will just be GREAT…**

-

Uchiha Sasuke looked at his new 'rival' who was making a fool of himself.

"He'll never be a shinobi or be better than me," he said to himself.

But looking closer, the Uchiha noticed that the blonde's clothing was covered in old blood, giving it a rust-red color.

'That's a lot of blood…' he thought.

Then an idea came into his mind.

Sasuke casually walked over to the blonde, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey Uzumaki," he began.

The blonde whirled around, a scowl on his face as soon as he reconized Sauke.

"What do you want Uchiha?"

"I challenge you to a spar after we get out."

"You're on!" he replied.

-

Nariko glared Sasuke in the eye, taking his challenge.

"Good," the Uchiha replied, "Today when we work on fighting, we're both going to go all out, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah; don't worry your pretty little face," she replied.

When the Uchiha left, Shikamaru groaned.

"What?" she asked.

"You know you're going to get a beating, right?" he asked.

Nariko's smile faded. She gave him a grave look.

"That pretty-boy couldn't bruise a tree, let alone me."

**That's a horrible comparason.**

'I don't care!' she thought-shouted back.

"G-g-good luck," Hinata stuttered.

"Yeah, you're going to need it."

-

Both rivals entered a clearing in the forest along with quite a few spectators. Almost immediately, Sasuke stepped up first, ready to take down his opponent. Nariko also stepped up, just as determined to take him down.

'This time, he won't over power me with fire,' she thought.

**If you learned correctly these past few days, that would be out of the question.**

Nariko didn't reply; she had to get ready to fight back.

Sasuke jumped forward, ready to strike. Nariko got ready for the hit. As he came closer, she jumped aside and brought her leg out for a kick. But Sasuke trained every moment he could, either by his father or older brother. He got out of her reach and turned to counterattack. His fist came towards her and made contact with her right shoulder.

**Kit, take him down like you did the thugs.**

Nariko nodded and tackled the Uchiha. Sasuke hadn't expected that; he was accustomed to street fighting. While he was on the ground, Nariko threw a fire-coasted fist at his face. Right after her fist made contact, Sasuke threw her off while he rubbed his slightly burned cheek. Nariko rolled in the dirt befor ecolliding with a tree.

"When did you learn katon jutsu?" Sasuke demanded.

"Aw, is pretty-boy jealous?" Nariko teased.

The Uchiha jumped out at her, ready to attack. Nariko rolled out of the way, hoping that he would collide with the tree, which he didn't… He wasn't at all like the thugs.

**It's probably because he isn't drunk and because he's trained by the best.**

'How do you know this?' Nariko mentally asked.

**I actually pay attention to what's going on around this village.**

But during this short conversation, Sasuke had managed to get a punch in which made Nariko reel back. The punch was enough to draw a little blood.

"Face it; you don't have a chance. My family is the best and has trained me so while you have no one."

Nariko growled. The Kyuubi, who she had teased by calling her 'Kaa-san' was NOT a no one to her.

"That's what you think," she retorted, "But you are SO wrong. Compared to those other guys, this is nothing!"

She wiped the blood from her face. The fight continued, a pure taijutsu battle that she was slowly losing. During the few days she had spent in thr forest, Nariko ahd only learned how to make fire and control running with chakra. Basically, she was hopeless in taijutsu. At the moment, she was on the ground from a punch delivered to the stomach.

"I told you," Sasuke stated, "You're not good enough."

He walked up to her and kicked her hard before she could get up. She hit the poor tree again. He once again kicked her, this itme he put some chakra behind it and she went flying.

**Kit, what's wrong with you?**

'I suck at taijutsu, and he's better than any of those villagers, even if he IS only seven…'

**You may be young, but I know you're no quitter; get up!**

Nariko slowly got up, but Sasuke was running, ready to attack.

'I won't be able to block it!' she panicked.

As he threw a punch, a dark red blur shot through the bushes and grabbed onto his arm.

"What the heck is this?!" he cried out.

On the Uchiha's arm was a fox who was digging his teeth into the boys arm.

**Although you're only a jinchuuriki, the foxes of the forest are still connected to you it seems…**

Sasuke pulled the animal off his arm and threw it at the tree. Nariko ran for the poor animal and picked it off the ground.

"Why did you do that?!" Nariko demanded, "It's just a poor fox!"

"That animal bit me!" he exclaimed.

Nariko looked at the fox and noticed that it was frail looking, and the throw did nothing to help it. She carefully stroked it, and when her hand passed over its leg the fox shuddered.

**Broken leg.**

Nariko growled at Sasuke, her anger rising.

"You broke this poor starving fox's leg!"

"It should learn not to attack humans," Sasuke stated.

"It's ok," she said to the fox, "I'll put this jerk in his place."

Nariko walked over to Hinata and gently put the fox in the girl's arms before returning to the spar. Tired of waitng, Sasuke charged, ready to end it. But Nariko was angry. The fox had only tried ot help her and it got hurt; she didn't like that. The blonde also charged at Sasuke, but her hand was outstretched, just like a claw.

'Please work,' she thought.

Sasuke's fist collided against Nariko's jaw, as her now flaming 'claw' hit him in the stomach.

'I did it!' she exclaimed just as she hit the ground.

**I guess you did use that technique that I taught you. I thought you couldn't. **

'Well, I was just angry about that starved fox and…'

**Anger is a great advantage, yet a great disadvantage at the same time.**

Nariko didn't reply; she still had to win!

-

Shikamaru looked on, confused on what had happened. Nariko had been losing badly, and then some scrawny fox jumped out to defend her. It made the blonde angry and she attacked the Uchiha with some new fire technique.

Meanwhile, the fangirls were screaming when their 'beloved Sasuke' got hit hard while most of the guys were cheering.

-

Sasuke was confused. The wimp had just hit him with fire over a stupid fox.

'How could he know something I don't? I'm the one from an upstanding family!'

He tried to get up, but it hurt. But he would not let himself lose a second time to the blonde.

-

Nariko got up and wiped the blood dripping from her jaw off. There was no doubt that that punch hurt, but she had to win, even if it was just a spar. She advanced forward on the Uchiha who was slowly rising and socked him in the face. The fangirls screamed again. Deciding that he wasn't going to keep fighting, Nariko ran over to Hinata who was still holding the fox.

"Can I see him?" Nariko asked.

Hinata nodded and she carefully moved the creature into her friend's arms.

"We need to find a vet. Shikamaru? Where can we find a vet?"

He shrugged.

"Thanks Mister Helpful."

"You sh-should as Kiba-san," Hinata sugested.

"Good idea!" Nariko exclaimed, "Hey Kiba! Where can I find a vet to heal this guy?"

The Inzuka looked at her.

"My sister is starting to be a vet, maybe she can help."

"Cool, let's go!"

"What about you? You just got beaten pretty hard."

"I'm fine; I heal fast…"

-

Nariko walked out of the vetinary clinic with the fox who had a cast on his leg. She was told that it would be bst if he healed naturally. Hinata had come along while Shikamaru said that it would be too troublesome to walk that far. Kiba waved to them as they left.

"Nariko?" Hinata asked when they were out of earshot, "What's his name?"

"Who's name?" she asked.

**Our foxy friend.**

'You Kaa-san?' she asked mentally.

**Baka! The youkai in your arms!**

'He's a youkai?'

**Yes, but he's in his one-tailed form at the moment. He's starved for some odd reason.**

"I don't know," Nariko replied, "Let's ask him!"

She looked down to the fox.

"As thanks for helping me, I'm gonna get you some well-diserved food, but first, what's your name?"

"I don't think he can reply," Hinata commented.

The fox yipped a few times.

'What'd he say Kaa-san?' Nariko silently asked.

**I can't believe I didn't recognize him from before; he is one of my kits, Takeshi.**

'Then why is he in such bad shape?'

**Takeshi was rejected by the clan for medling with human affairs. He surprsingly took it graciously without complaint; it's good to see him.**

"His name is Takeshi," Nariko stated, "And his mother is queen of all foxes."

"H-how do you know that?"

The blonde smiled.

"He told me."

The Hyuuga heiress didn't kow what to say to that. Who had ever heard of humans knowing fox?

"Well, I should go home," Hinata said, "I'll see you later?"

"You bet!" Nariko exclaimed, much to Takeshi's discomfort.

Nariko began to run to the best place to get food ever; Ichiraku Ramen. She figured that her new friend should get the best and she should get some ramen…

-

**I seriously don't know how you can eat so much of that stuff…**

Nariko had just finished her fifth bowl of ramen. She had offered some to Takeshi, but when he refused, she had just stuck to giving him the meat that came with it. Ichiraku's Ramen was the best she had ever had. Nariko loved the place though, not only for it's food, but for the two that worked there. Teuchi, the owner, and his young daughter Ayame were about the only villagers who didn't want to skewer her with sharp pointy objects.

"Thanks Old Man!" she yelled, even though he wasn't quite old.

"Nice seeing you, come back soon," Ayame said as Nariko paid.

The blonde waved before going back to her cavern home.

-

"This beautiful cave is where I live!" Nariko exclaimed to Takeshi after she lit a fire.

**Stop yelling; you're huritng his ears.**

"Sorry," Nariko mumbled before sitting and setting him down.

The red fox yawned, accepting the apology. She had been nice to him and surprisingly didn't complain when he brought back a rotting bird carcas back to eat.

"So…" Nariko began, "Why are you so silent?"

He looked at her quizically.

Nariko layed down on the ground and looked him in the eye. She was surprised that he had purple, slitted irises.

"I know you're a youkai; your Kaa-san told me so."

He yawned and closed his eyes, not wanting to answer.

**Takeshi always was a bit shy…**

'What do you mean by always?'

**I mean the 400 years I've known him before he left the clan another hundred years ago.**

"Well, I expect you to talk with me tomorrow oldie," she told the fox before fallign asleep herself.

-

**A/N:** Eh… this chapter was a bit lame I admit, but it was ok I guess. Well, sorry to keep you waiting but as I sai, I was working on my other fic which I renamed 'Plan of the Light' –hinthint- which I haven't finished because after many messages from Pancake Mix… I said, 'Ok, I'll make a chapter… sheesh…' Heh… So, if you have questions, hate how I'm putting in an OC, or anything else, please feel free to put it in. Also, I need to start organizing future genin teams and I'd love suggestions. Oh, and for all of you anonymous reviewers, if you want questioons answered, it would be easier if you registered, but if not, then I'll just post answers in the next chapter's A/N. Anyway, you know what to do now, **Review!**


	10. Massacre, and a Chake

**Nariko **

**Chapter 10: Massacre **

**- **

**- **

**Disclaimer:** I'm poor; guess.

-

For the next few weeks, life continued on normally, or as normal as possible. Nariko had kept asking for Takeshi to talk to her, but no; the fox remained silent.

**He doesn't want to kit. **

'Why not?'

**From what I remember, he's had some… tough times with humans in general… **

'I don't care!' she thought back, 'I want him to talk to me.'

As soon as he was healthy, his leg had healed in only a few hours but the youkai didn't leave, being comfortable with the blonde.

"Takeshi, please say something to me," she pleaded.

He just shook his head before walking out of the cave.

**It's not going to work.**

Nariko pouted before going to The Academy. Takeshi never followed her to the place, probably not wanting to go near the many loud children.

She walked onto the grounds and could already sense that it was going to be a bad day. Even though Nariko had learned how to manipulate fire a little better thanks to the Kyuubi's help, she still didn't want to be challenged by Sasuke again. For some reason, the Uchiha wouldn't let up.

Almost on cue, the Uchiha made his challenge of the almost-every-day.

"Hey, Uzumaki! I-"

"No," she replied.

"Hey! I didn't even finish!"

She looked over her shoulder.

"I don't care."

He didn't question her further, probably because she still wore the same bloody outfit everyday. And more ash, dirt, and blood were added almost daily.

**You need new clothes kit.**

'No, I like these,' she refused.

**Or are you afraid to get kicked out of the shops again?**

'No! I just hate shopping…'

**Sure…**

Nariko stalked off to the academy alone. Shikamaru had been sick for the past few days and Hinata was probably already inside.

-

The school day was boring. It was nothing but a lecture on the rules of the shinobi, or something like that. Nariko had listened to the first few, but when she realized there where at least 100, she pulled a Shikamaru and zoned out.

-

"Wake up!"

Nariko still was asleep…

"Wake up right now Naruto!"

Still no reaction…

**Kit, you better wake up.**

"Wake up right now or else!"

Nariko bolted up, ready to attack whoever it was.

"If you want to try and kill me again, you better get ready to-"

Nariko looked around and realized she was in the classroom, shouting out her battlecries.

"Uh… sorry?"

-

'I can't believe I got in trouble for that,' Nariko grumbled/ thought.

**Humans are so closed minded…**

'Hey, can I learn something new today?'

**No.**

'Why not Kaa-san?' she mentally whined.

**You still have to get new clothes not to mention food.**

"I don't want to," she said out loud.

"Don't want to what?"

Nariko turned around to recognize the gang members she had beaten up weeks ago. They were going to try and kill her again. She looked around to find that she was in a narrow alleyway surrounded by the rest of the gang.

**How cliché…**

'What?'

**Never mind; just get ready to use your Fox Flame on them.**

Nariko did as she was told and got ready to attack. The first one lunged forward, ready to kill her. Instead of a plank of wood, he had a pitch fork.

**Oh, I am so scared…**

Nariko broke the shaft using her fire and kicked him in the groin. Three more men leapt forward, sharp farm tools heading for her. The blonde, with Kyuubi's instruction, dodged at the right moment, and burned one of the man's legs. To both of their dismay, there were too many men to take on in the crowded space.

**Kit, you have to burn through them.**

'What?!'

**You have to burn through their flesh with your fire; it's the only way you're going to live.**

'But I can't!'

**You have to.**

As much as she didn't want to, Nariko took the fox's advice and got prepared to kill. She jumped forward onto one of the men and brought flame to her hand.

-

The Sandaime watched the blonde intently through his crystal ball. He knew that the villagers often tried to kill the girl, but there was no way she could survive an attack form the whole gang. The old man was going to put a stop to this massacre, but what he saw next made him decide otherwise.

-

Back in the alley, Nariko clasped her hand around the man's neck, and he couldn't get it off. In only a few seconds, she had burned a hole through his throat. Nariko backed away from the body, shocked from what she did.

"I-I-I…"

"Che! She killed Katsuo!"

"That demon is going to kill us all!"

"We outnumber it. There's no way it can fight all ten of us at once!"

'Ten?!' she panicked, 'I-I-I don't want to do this Kaa-san…'

**Kit, you have to if you want to stay alive.**

The men charged her.

'I can't!'

She tried to hold back as many as she could with fire, but it was almost impossible. After a while, they managed to get hits on her and draw blood. Nariko wanted to scream for help, but wouldn't show her weakness to them.

'Kaa-san…'

**Don't die on me kit!**

Nariko felt a wave of red chakra course through her. Needing to improvise and atack everyone around her, she decided to try and surround herself with fire like the kyuubi was telling her a few days ago.

'It's either that or…' she thought.

Using the Kyuubi's gift, Nariko forced them back with a wall of fire. Unfortunately, being only a little child, she collapsed as she was spent from that last move, especially since she hadn't eaten since breakfast. And even worse, there were still many left.

"We're going to get you demon!"

"Yeah! And avenge our other men!"

The new supposed leader came up, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Ready to die demon?"

Nariko didn't reply, awaiting her fate. She waited a few more seconds, waiting for impact, but it never came. She only lifted her head when a large object hit the dirt; it was the thug. Painfully, the blonde looked up to find that a young man at around the age of 16 had killed the man.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She looked up into his tanned face, wondering why he had helped her. Nariko's savoir had a shock of blood red hair and a lean but strong build. But the most striking feature about him were his violet slitted eyes.

"Takeshi?" she mumbled.

**I remember his human form being… smaller.**

Nariko gave her new surrogate mother a pity laugh.

"Let me take care of these fools," he growled, "Besides, being starved and ostricized from my clan for so many years has left me out of practice on humans…"

"It's another one!" one of them shouted.

Takeshi gave a creul grin before bringing fire to his hands and advancing.

"You know it's not good to mess with a youkai, especially a rokubi (six-tail) kitsune…"

The men began to panic and run, only to meet their fates and fall to the ground, lifeless. Takeshi laughed as if it were a good joke. He walked back to Nariko and knelt beside her.

"Hey, you ok?"

"I-I-I just killed people…"

"It happens; it's not your fault. You were only defending yourself."

She looked up into his eyes which only showed his kindness towards her.

"First, let me bring you back. Let your ANBU deal with this without us around," he said.

Nariko agreed; she didn't want to get in even more trouble. He picked her up off of the ground.

"I feel like a weakling," she complained.

"You did fine," he told her, "And I'm more than ten times your age."

"Can I get some food; I'm starving."

The youkai smiled at the young blonde.

"Fine, but you need to get some new clothing; it's a bit suspicious."

"But I like this color better than the orange that the shops sell me."

**Well it's a relief that you won't be wearing that disgusting color ever again…**

They took off, but not before taking money and anything else of value from the dead men.

-

Both Takeshi and Nariko were heading along the rooftops towards the forest until he stopped and sniffed the air.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I smell unusually large amounts of blood; it's fresh too. We should check it out."

**Tell him no kit; you'd be defenseless.**

"I'll drop you at the cave first though Nariko."

"No way!" she exclaimed, "I'm fine and I wanna see it too!"

Nariko struggeld out of the youkai's grip and stood on her own… only to fall down face first.

"You need to build up your chakra reserves…"

"I know, whatever! Please take me with you?"

"Fine."

**Pushover…**

-

The blonde was slung over the youkai's shoulders as they made their way towards the blood Takeshi smelled. The two ended up in Konoha's upper crust. To be more exact; the Uchiha district.

"Why are we here…?" Nariko asked.

"This is where the smell is coming from."

Takeshi let himself in through the gate. In only moments, they were greeted with the sight of a few dead bodies bleeding into the street.

'What the-' she thought.

Suddenly, a child's scream shot throughout the night. The youkai jumped at the sheer loudness of the noise.

"Are you going to find out what that was?" Nariko asked.

Takeshi nodded.

He moved forwards with the blonde in tow. Another scream resonated from a very large house. It seemed that the closer they got, the more frequent the screams came.

Takeshi walked through the open door. Noticing the blood on the walls, he licked his lips in anticipation.

"This seems like another massacre… lucky me."

'I thought that youkai weren't evil,' Nariko asked Kyuubi.

**We aren't, and although younger youkai usually are morbid, he probably takes after my first mate in that sense. Why I even went close to that yabi **(eight-tails) **is beyond me.**

Nariko thought that it would be wise if she dropped the subject…

The two went from room to room, trying to find the source of the screams.

"There's too much blood for me to pinpoint where this one person is or who it is."

They finally made it to the back yard which was litered with dead bodies. Their unliving eyes sent chills down the blonde's spine. There was another scream. Takeshi eased Nariko off his back as he advanced forward.

Nariko shakily stood and slowly followed the youkai. The red-head stopped in front of a young boy, no older than Nariko herself. Realization hit, and she ran to the survivor. She knelt by him, and saw his terror striken eyes.

'What happened?' she thought.

"Sasuke?" she quietly asked, "Sasuke, are you ok?"

Normally she wouldn't be nice to the pompous boy, but she figured that he had just seen his family get killed, and being gentle was the only thing she could do.

Takeshi growled upon recognition of the boy who had broken his leg and threatened the blonde.

"Takeshi," Nariko began, "He may be a jerk, but he isn't bad either. I think he needs the hospital."

She looked around before going back to the last Uchiha.

"Sasuke, what happened?" she asked.

"Itachi…" he mumbled, "Itachi killed them all…"

"What's an Itachi?" Nariko asked.

**Let him sleep; he needs it.**

"Are we going to take him?" Takeshi asked, "Or do you want to tell your Hokage and leave him here?"

"You're asking me? I'm only seven."

"No," he replied, "But Kaa-san is WAY old."

**I resent that. Kit, take him to the hospital, then the Hokage.**

"She says to take him, then tell Old Man Hokage and she says that she isn't old."

Takeshi rolled his eyes before doing what he had been advised by his mother.

-

"Hey, Miss," Takeshi said to the nurse at the reception desk, "This kid needs medical help, now."

She looked up from her work to see the youkai (who looked human as to not scare real humans) with an Uchiha slung over his shoulder. The woman called for a stretcher to bring him to doctors.

"Put him here," she ordered, "What happened to him?"

He shrugged.

"I heard screams and found him in the Uchiha district surrounded by dead bodies."

"Is that all?"

"He said something about an Itachi," Nariko added.

The woman glared at the blonde, trying to shower her with hatred.

"What is that thing doing here?" she asked.

"Hey! I'm the one who stopped him from screaming!"

The nurse snorted at the comment.

"Just get out of here."

Nariko walked out of the hospital.

"Now, Sir, I-"

The nurse spun around looking for the one who brought Sasuke in, but he was nowhere to be found.

-

Nariko made her way towards the Hokage Tower. She hated the hospital and they hated her. And furry red blur shot out into her arms.

"Aren't you a bit old to be carried."

Takeshi didn't pay attention to her and just snuggled into her arms, his tail purposefully tickling her. Nariko let out a small giggle; he sure knew how to cheer her up.

-

"E-e-excuse me, I need to see the Hokage right away," Nariko said to the secretary.

"Hokage-sama doesn't have time for you gaki."

"But it's really important!"

The blood-red fox in her arms growled in agreement.

"Fine," the secretary spat, "But this better not be a joke."

Nariko mumbled a 'thank you' before knocking o nthe giant oak doors.

"Come in," the Sandaime called.

The blonde rushed in and stopped before his desk.

"There's a huge emergency!" she exclaimed.

"If it is about the atack on you, I already know that. Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"No, it's not that," she began, ignoring the quesition, "There was this scream, so I went to see-"

Takeshi yipped.

"Oh yeah, Takeshi too, and then we saw all of the Uchihas dead except for Sasuke who we took to the hospital. You need to see him now!"

"Do you know who did this?" he asked, seriousness entering his tone.

The blonde nodded.

"He said something about an Itachi…"

The Sandaime froze in his seat.

"Where is Sasuke again?"

-

Nariko stared at the cave ceiling, wondering what would happen. The Hokage had told her to go home while he handled the problem. There had been a lot of death that night, and as soon as the adrenaline and excitement of the night wore off, she felt nothing but guilt.

"I can't believe I killed someone…"

**It was actually three.**

"Not helping."

**There's no need to feel guilt though. As a future Kunoichi, you have to be able to kill opponents who threaten your life. Think of it as… advanced training. The best thing to do now is to sleep.**

-

The next day, Nariko found that all of the fangirls were distraught that Sasuke wasn't there that day. She hurriedly went to find Hinata. The Hyuuga girl wasn't there, along with many other children. The blonde ran up to one of her senseis.

"Mizuki-sensei?" she asked, "Where is everyone?"

"Naruto, you shouldn't worry about it."

"But Hinata-chan isn't here, and I don't think she's sick."

"Look, some parents are just worried about their children today, that's all."

Nariko nodded before running off.

**News spreads fast around here.**

'Tell me about it.'

Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't be showing up at the academy anytime soon though, and it was nothing but a bunch of whining fangirls and Nariko.

-

**A/N:** So, here's the chapter. It's not too short, and I felt inspired these past few days, especailly since I finished my other fic, Plan of the Light. So… I have come to realize that this is really dragging in the childhood stage and I'm sorry for that. That's why I'm combining this with another was-gonna-be-but-isn't chapter. It's more of an omake, but it's kinda long anda ctually has some meaning to it later on… Yeah, it involves little Gaara. Don't flame; he's one of my favorite characters in the anime so DEAL. Um, because many of you don't like the ShikaxNariko pairing (Voting is OVER), I shall add Sasuxnaru and Gaaxnaru MOMENTS. Yes, those're not the final pairings, but hopefully it'll appease your wants. Also, after the next update there's gonna be teams! Well, I WANT to have Nariko on a team with Sasuke and Kakashi as teacher (I've got some ideas already…) so now it's time for a vote! Tell me who you want to be on their team, and then if you have a suggestion, give me your idea for an original team if you want. Now, off from my seriously too long 'note' onto the omake/chapter thing.

-

**Nariko **

**Chapter 10.1: Gaara**

-

-

**Disclaimer:** I own 'ik' and Takeshi, so now get on with your life

-

Nariko sighed; she was bored. It was almost winter by now and only days after the Uchiha Massacre. Hinata hadn't come back to the Academy like many others, and Shikamaru's mother wouldn't let him leave the house until all trace of his cold were gone. There was always the option of going clothing shopping, but she didn't want to. She could always play a game, but she couldn't be with her friends. And no training either; she had to lay low after the thug incident. When shinobi found the dead bodies, they had been sure to look out for fire users in general. And since Kyuubi and Takashi used pretty much only fire jutsu, that wasn't an option either. Nariko had even gone as far as to look more like a girl she was so bored.

"Bored, bored, bored…" she chanted, "So bored…"

**Cause some mischief or something, just stop chanting that one word.**

"No; I have to be good."

**Says who?**

"Old Man."

**Well you have MY permission.**

"Sorry, I'm not supposed to know about you, remember?"

**Hey, don't you hate this village? Why not mess them up a bit?**

"I may hate this place, but not my friends. It's not like I want to be Hokage anymore…"

Nariko had resolved that being Hokage would mean that she would have to serve the rotten villagers' needs.

**Just play in the street.**

"What kind of advice is that?!"

**Just find some random kid to play with.**

"I don't know…"

**I bet you can't.**

"Fine. I will."

-

"I can't do this…" she complained.

For about an hour, she had been searching for someone to play with, but most of the children of the village were spending time with their parents. Nariko threw her arms up in defeat, only to smack someone in the face. Or, er, sand. Not expecting to feel the course gradient of sand, she tured around to find a red-headed boy a little younger than her, straing at her with dark-rimmed aquamarine eyes.

"Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to hit your, uh, sand…"

He backed away from her.

"Don't run away!" she exclaimed.

The boy just stared at her, confused.

"Why?" he asked, speaking for the first time.

"Um… you wanna play?" she asked, "Please?"

**I didn't think you'd take me so literally…**

"So, whaddaya say?" she asked.

A smile brightened on his face.

"Ok," he replied.

"Great!"

Nariko tried to grab his wrist to bring him somewhere, but a wall of sand pushed her away. The boy looked afraid before beginning to run away.

"Wait!" she called before chasing after him.

**Something's off about that kid…**

'Does it have to do with living sand?'

**No… really…**

She brushed off the sarcasm and caught up to the red-head.

"Why are you running?" she asked when she was right next to him, "Can't we be friends or something?"

He stared at her with confusion again.

"Friends? I-I've never had a friend before…"

"Then you better start now," she said, "Come on, let's go not stand around and do nothing."

He nodded before following her.

"What's your name? Have I ever seen you before?" Nariko asked.

"Sabaku no Gaara; I'm from Suna…"

"Cool! I've never left Konoha or met anyone not from here before."

"So… who are you?" Gaara asked.

"I'm Nariko, and I-"

She stopped. She had given away her real name.

**This is not good…**

Well, it was for the best, seeing as she could be thought of as female, but it still wasn't good; she was too reconizable by her bright hair. Nariko decided that the best plan of action was to just go with it.

"Anyway," she began again, "I will take you to the BEST place in the village…"

-

"A ramen stand?"

Nariko waved her finger diapprovingly.

"Not just any ramen stand… the home of the best ramen ever!"

"…"

Nariko just smiled, knowing that she was right.

"Come on! Just try it! You won't be sorry…"

The blonde pulled her new friend up to the bar, glad that she had some of the money from the massacre in her pocket.

"Hey Old Man!" she greeted, "I brought a new friend today for the world's greatest ramen!"

-

Gaara just stared in amazement as his first and only friend slurped down her sixth bowl of ramen. He had ordered something to be polite, but watching her eat so much in such little time made him feel like puking… What was even more disturbing was when she finished her bowl and ordered another.

"Hit me chef!" she exclaimed.

"Ok, another one coming up!" he yelled back.

The blonde turned to her friend and frowned.

"W-w-what?" he asked, alaremd by her sudden change of disposition.

"You didn't eat your ramen! What is wrong with you?"

Gaara was afraid that she actually was mad at him for not eating the noodles that he didn't really want to eat in the first place.

Thinking up an excuse he said, "I'm not really hungry… you can have it."

She smiled at him.

"I knew it was something like that!"

He handed her the bowl of noodles which she ate in only seconds.

-

"Ok! So now that we had lunch, let's do something else!"

When he didn't say anything, she spoke again.

"You don't have to be quiet around me you know, I'm your friend. So, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know…" he mumbled.

"You're shy, just like my other friend Hinata, but she's home today so you can't meet her… But, I will make you talk, just like I did to Takeshi!"

-

Takeshi was wandering the village, taking everything in since the last time he had been there. The last time he had been there was around the time the village was created and it did not hold happy memories. But while he was exploring (and flirting with some of the ladies) he let out a huge sneeze.

"I wonder what that was about…"

-

Gaara didn't reply to the blonde; she was a bit weird.

"I know!" Nariko exclaimed, "We should play pranks on those rotten villagers!"

"Rotten?"

"Yeah, they hate me and I hate them."

"Everyone in my village hates me too…"

The blonde looked over at him.

"Well, if I ever go to Suna, then we'll have to prank them too."

Gaara smiled, thinking about dumping garbage on the people of Sunagatkure. Nariko took this as a signal that he was in and the two began to scheme…

-

Nariko burst out laughing at the reaction of the villagers as rotting garbage rained down upon some of them. The blonde had gathered a whole bunch of trash and had added some fire to it, making old food that was gross beyond any sane person's tolerance. Gaara then used his sand, a skill Nariko thought was totally awesome, to drop it down on the people. As soon as they got a reaction, the two would quickly run away, not wanting to get blamed.

"That was so good," Nariko laughed, "That was the guy who sells me overpriced rotten fruit whenever he can."

Gaara hadn't laughed at all that day, but she knew that he thought it was funny.

"Now that we have done that… what now?"

Because he had never had a friend, Gaara couldn't answer these quesitons with more than a shrug.

**Next thing you know, you'll be setting things on fire…**

"Let's set things on fire!" Nariko exclaimed.

**What have I done…?**

"I don't think we should do that…"

"Why not?" Nariko pouted.

**I thought you said you 'had to be good'.**

'Well…' she thought.

**Hypocrite.**

'I don't even know what that means!'

Gaara was confused when the hyperactive blonde was quiet, and then tears (anime style) came rushing down her face. And even more so when she suddenly stopped.

"There's one place you HAVE to go to Gaara-kun," she said, "The Hokage Mountain."

-

The sun was getting lower in the sky just as the two children made it to the top of Hokage Mountain. Ever since Shikamaru had brought her up there to hide, Nariko always loved the place as a quiet place to think. Of course, she still remembered having to jump off the cliff, but still…

"What do you think?" Nariko asked.

"It's strange… there's no violent winds filled with sand at all…"

"This is Konoha! No large amounts of sand here."

Nariko sat on the edge of the cliff, letter her feet dangle off the edge.

"Since you are my friend, tell me about yourself."

He shook his head.

"You don't want to know."

"Why do you think I asked if I don't want to know? Fine; I'll go first. I'm an orphan and I live in a cave in the forest. The entire village hates me and it's all the Yondaime's fault. I have three friends plus you and I love ramen. Your turn."

He sighed, a sad expression going across his face.

"I have two older siblings, my father, and Uncle Yashamaru who takes care of me. My mother is dead. No one likes me; they all fear me and my father sends people to kill me sometimes. The only one who cares is Uncle Yashamaru, but I'm usually left alone."

**You two are a lot alike kit. If you ask me, he may just be a jinkchuuriki too, but of what I have no clue.**

"We're not alone!" Nariko exclaimed, "I'm your friend, and my friends can be your friends so… yeah!"

She pumped her fist in the air.

"But I don't live here…"

"You can write and stuff," Nariko said, "You can talk to me; we're alike so…"

She trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

**You can't; it's not like you have an address or anything.**

'Not true,' Nariko thought back, 'Old Man Hokage will help me when I ask.'

-

Nariko was dragging Gaara along again. This time, she was going to see the Hokage to ask about the letter thing. She could tell that he was shy and needed to open up to people. Before they got to the tower though, someone called to the red-head.

"G-Gaara?"

Both turned around to see a blonde haired girl a few years older than them.

"Who's that?" Nariko asked.

"Temari… Sister…"

"Hey, maybe she'll be nicer to you if I ask them to…"

**More like set them on fire if they don't.**

The blonde suppressed a laugh from the morbid thought.

"Hi!" Nariko exclaimed, still dragging Gaara along.

"Who are you?" Gaara's sister asked.

"I'm his friend," she smiled.

She backed away.

"I-Isn't that nice? Heh…" the older blonde said.

"You bet it is!" Nariko exclaimed, "Are you his friend too?"

Nariko looked to her side to find that Gaara was behind her.

"Gaara," Temari said, "You know you shouldn't wander off on your own! Now, we have to go back to Suna, so come on."

The red-head nodded before following his sister. Nariko waved to him.

"Remember to keep in touch!" she exclaimed.

'That girl has no idea what her 'friend' really is…' the other blonde thought.

-

Nariko returned to her cave after talking to the Sandaime who gladly complied.

"Here," a voice said.

Nariko couldn't see anything at all, and was about to struggle then realized that something ws just covering her eyes. It was new clothing; a blood-red tshirt and black pants. She found Takeshi starting a fire.

"Thanks!" she said, "Why though?"

"You can't smell like blood all the time, especially when you live in the forest."

"What do I do with these?"

She had already changed out of the filthy clothes. The youkai grinned before sending some fire from the one in the middle of the cave to the clothing.

"How can you do that?!" Nariko asked.

"I have a fire affinity so I can manipulate fire. Maybe you'll learn it too somed-"

He was cut off by a whoop of joy from the blonde. The next few years sure were going to be interesting…

-

**A/N:** So there you go. It's neither a chapter or an omake so you get a… chake! No clue if that means anything but… I don't care! So, this was probably a lame chake, but it's technically not a chapter so… Hopefully I wasn't too OOC. By the way, Gaara is still going to be insane, just not a total psycopath in this fic… Well, this ends the super long, dragged out child stage. Sorry! Well, review and vote for teams (and/or pm if you want) at the same time readers! The future of the fic depends on it!


	11. Truth

**Nariko **

**Chapter 11: Truth **

**- **

**- **

**Disclaimer:** I own 'ik' and Takeshi. Amazing… isn't it?

-

Nariko counted down for her latest prank to go off.

"3… 2… 1-"

Screams, yells, and curses echoed throughout the village.

"Mission complete," she whispered.

Five years ago, right after meeting Gaara, Nariko had reasoned that playing pranks on the villagers was a legal way to get a small dose of revenge. Of course, these weren't pranks like, say, grafitting the Hokage faces. No, the blonde preffered it to be… interesting… This time, she had filled many large containers with orange dye and attached an explosive note to each one. The containers were placed inareas were there were many people, including the academy. At her command, the dye exploded everywhere, never to come off…

She had, of course, thought of using glass instead but couldn't for two reasons. One: the glass might just explode as well into inhalable pieces. And two: If it didn't shatter, Nariko was sure that it wasn't quite legal to send shards of glass everywhere… She had learned her lesson the last time…

Now it was the hard part of pulling pranks; getting away.

Nariko bolted from the roof top she was currently on, heading for the areas that were dyed the horrendus color. First off, they wouldn't look for her in the mass of confusion, and she would blend right in. Because she was maturing, the blonde played it safe when choosing clothing and wore something at least twice her size. Because of her prank, she specifically dyed the baggy jumpsuit orange so she could blend in.

'This is one of my best, safe pranks ever!' Nariko menatlly exclaimed.

**I don't see why the old man forced you to use these restrictions…**

'I think it has something to do with the Suna incedent three years ago…'

Yes indeed, that had been a sight to behold, with all the panic… And the glass. How were they to know that fire plus sand equalled sharp, leathal glass? Even more so when it was from a sand cyclone…

**I find no problem with that…**

Nariko ignored that remark as she dove into the newly made sea of orange.

-

'How did I get caught again?' Nariko pondered.

**You always overdo it and get caught. I told you that rigging dye over the Hokage Mountain was a bad idea. At least you don't have to clean it up…**

"Naruto! Are you listening to me?"

The blonde looked up from her seat to a very annoyed Iruka.

"No, not really."

She could've sworn that if it weren't for the orange dye, he would have been a darker shade of red.

"Class! Because Naruto is such an idiot, you all have to go over _henge no jutsu_ again."

The class gave a collective groan. All 27 students lined up to preform the jutsu. The pink-haired girl Sakura giggled in such a way after acing it that Nariko wanted to strangle her.

**I don't mean to sound like you, but that annoyggn bitch should quit being a shinobi now.**

The blonde mentally agreed.

"Naruto, it's your turn…"

Nariko grinned, stepping up in front of the class.

'What should I turn into this time Kaa-san?'

**Something that's-**

"Hurry it up Uzumaki," Sasuke said.

"Yeah! Listen to Sasuke-kun!" the fangirls exclaimed.

"Why should I?" she shot back.

"Because he's better than YOU and always will be. Face it, you're a nobody and always will be," Sakura added.

The other fangirls nodded in agreement. Nariko was fuming by this point. Sure, the blonde had been really rude to her in their early years, even starting her nickname 'Billboard Brow', but this was too much. It was time for revenge.

"Henge!" the blonde called out.

In the place of the blonde was a very skanky woman scantily clad with something resmbling clouds. And this new form was very close to resembling Sakura… Now, any regular man would have blood shooting out of his nose if it weren't for that fact that, well, the henge was quite… er, flat. Yes, Nariko made herself into an older slutty, yet breastless version of Sakura.

"Look at me," she said while henged, "I'm Haruno Sakura and I think I'm SO great and that the emo bastard over there will love me someday! Even though I can't take the hint that I'm not liked at all! Along with the fact that I'm flatter than a board."

The class gave out a collective snicker, those who were past the sight of the older 'Sakura' of course. The jaw of the real Sakura dropped to the floor.

"I'm sorry," Nariko began again, "Is the conceited bitch displeased?"

**The look on her face is definitely better than the exploding orange dye.**

Nariko grinned one more time before releasing the jutsu.

"PERVERT!" Sakura screeched.

The blonde put her hands up in a surrender-like fashion.

"Hey, don't hate me for telling the truth."

This caused the class to laugh again. Sakura steamed in embarrassment, even after the bell rang for lunch.

-

"You are so troublesome…" Shikamaru mumbled.

The blonde just grinned.

"What did you think of it Hinata?"

"It was kind of mean," she replied.

"She deserved it."

"Still…" the Hyuuga trailed off.

"Hey," Nariko began, "Later today is the graduation exam. After that, we'll never have to see that loser again."

"We?" Shikamaru asked.

"Of course, I planned it all out," Nariko began, "Since I'm almost the best, and you're almost the dead-last, we'll be put together because of some grade thing. And then, Hinata is the best kunoichi so she'll be put with us."

"You actually thought something out…"

The blonde glared kunai at her lazy friend.

"One of these days I'm going to kill you."

"Troublesome… You don't have the balls…"

She glared at him.

"Haha, very funny…"

Hinata just stared on at her friends' conversation. She always felt like it wasn't her place to talk, even if she wans't as shy as she used to be.

"Nariko, shouldn't you prepare for your spar?"

The blonde grinned at the Hyuuga.

"I'm so gonna win this time."

-

Sasuke and Nariko sparred all the time with them both winning the same a mount of times. It seemed that as soon as one of them figured out a new move, they won, until the next spar where the other learned something new. So far, they were at a draw and Nariko wanted to be the one with the most wins. But Sasuke wanted to too.

"You're going down Uchiha!" Nariko exclaimed.

Sasuke just smirked being the arrogant person he was.

The fight was about to begin.

-

Both of them jumped at each other as soon as the spar (or fight, whichever way you look at it) started. Sasuke got ready to use his supreme taijutsu abilities. No matter how much she trained, Nariko just never could beat the Uchiha in taijutsu. This being the case, the blonde made a jump into the air, trying to use an airal assault of fire. After the Suna incedent, Nariko knew that fire from the sky could be very powerful. But (sadly), Sasuke dodged the attack and launched a kick at her as she decended.

Luckily, Nariko was able to avoid the kick and throw in a punch herself which missed by mere inches. Knowing that if it were a taijutsu battle she would lose, the blonde tried to get some distance between her and the Uchiha. Sasuke took this window of opportunity to land a punch on her gut. The impact helped more than hurt, giving Nariko the distance she wanted.

The blonde then used her _kitsune kaen_ (fox flame) to throw him off. It didn't do more than keep him on guard. Deciding that he couldn't force his opponent into a taijutsu battle, Sasuke made the hand signs for his signature fireball jutsu. This was pointless in a way, considering that the Kyuubi wouldn't let Nariko get burned by such a jutsu. While the jutsu was going, Nariko raced around the attack and up to Sasuke to deliver a chakra enhanced kick. The Uchiha was bale to dodge the mass of it, but he didn't come away completely unscathed.

"Is that all you've got Uzumaki?"

Nariko shook her head in disdain.

"Not even close."

Nariko sent fire to her fists and began a barage of punches. Sasuke wasn't able to block them because of the heat, and his only option was to fight fire with fire.

-

After many sweep kicks, burns, punches, kicks, and dodges, the two were getting irritated with the current standoff. They were using every trick they could think of and it wasn't working. Nariko had even tried the tecnique that she had been taught the other week by the Kyuubi that allowed her to walk on vertical surfaces. It had worked for about five punches before Sasuke thought of a counter. Sasuke once again shot out his fireball, trying to get the blonde, only to have it narrowly dodged seeing as how Nariko was stuck between the jutsu and a few trees. Taking this breif moment of time, Sasuke jumped to Nariko, slamming her into the ground. Now, the blonde may have been lacking in formal taijutsu, but she knew streetfighting. As they wrestled on the ground, Nariko took the time to slam her knee into the Uchiha's gut. Unfortunately, he was about to punch her and held her by the weak fabric of her jumpsuit. When he was slammed with the chakra enforced hit, the front part of the jacket went with him.

As soon as this happened, only two words ran through Nariko's mind:

'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.'

The class who had surrounded to see the spar gasped at what they saw and an erruption of mumbled conversations littered the area. The more moral of the students adverted their eyes, while the shocked just stared. Nariko was shocked herself. The cover she had kept for nearly six years had just been torn apart, literally. The blonde pulled her arms to her chest to conserve her modesty.

In the crowd, Shikamaru pushed his way through the crowd and tossed his friend his fishnet shirt to help. She scowled slightly seeing how fishnet doesn't make good shirts, but there were bigger problems to deal with.

The blonde got up, still shocked and embarrassed. But a part of her was angry too. Angry at the Uchiha for blowing her cover and 'now' that she was a girl, she also was angry for his perverted action, even though the latter really wasn't his fault.

"What the Hell?" Sasuke asked, "I've been fighting a GIRL this whole time!"

Nariko scowled.

"Let me show you what this GIRL can do…"

She marched up to him and socked him in the face.

"THAT'S what you get for blowing my cover!"

The blonde kept her back to the rest of the class, afraid of what would happen next.

-

"You pretended to be a boy all these years?" Iruka questioned.

After her true identity had been revealed, Nariko was sent inside to get a stern talking to.

"Obviously," she replied.

"You're in no position to be sarcastic!"

"How?" she asked, "So what if I lied to the class all this time? I was given a better chance and I'm just as good as Uchiha!"

She waited a while for both Iruka and Mizuki to take in her reasoning.

"Still… Since you are now going to be a kunoichi, you haven't passed the kunoichi classes you cannot take the graduation exam and pass."

Nariko's disposition and expression dropped in an instant

"A-are you kidding me?" she asked, "After all that time I worked hard?"

"It's true," Mizuki said, "She has done very well in class, we should let it slide."

The blonde let hope into her mind, only to have in crushed.

"No Mizuki. If we do that, then she hasn't actually passed and it wouldn't be right."

"The Old Man said it was ok!" Nariko exclaimed.

But no matter what she said, one thing was certain; they weren't going to let her become a ninja anytime soon.

-

Nariko looked at over the village of Konoha, the place where her hopes had been crushed more than once. Her dreams of being a ninja with her two friends and proving that she could be more than a 'monster' were over, there was no way she could get in. The decision was final, no matter how unfair it was. She could always stay a few years and become the ninja, but it seemed pointless. She wanted to fight alongside her friends, not some younger kids she didn't even know. A figure approached her.

"Oh, hey Mizuki-sensei…" she mumbled, "Thanks for taking my side earlier."

"You know, Iruka just wants you to become a ninja properly."

She nodded.

"Still…"

"You know, I did persuade him to allow you one more chance."

Nariko looked at him, waiting to hear what she had to do.

"You have to steal this scroll, I'll tell you where it is, and learn a jutsu. This will show your stealth, ability to adapt, along with endurance. It's like training for future misisons."

'Should I do it Kaa-san?' Nariko asked the fox.

**You might as well; you may actually be able to continue along your plan.**

"Ok Mizuki-sensei, I'll do it."

-

Nariko sat in a forest clearing and opened the scroll. She scanned its contents for a jutsu she could master.

"What to choose… what to choose…"

She scanned the scroll, looking for practical jutsu that she could learn in only a few hours.

"What's this one? Kage bunshin? I already know bunshin…"

**These are not illusions though, but solid copies. They're weak though. I suggest Aka Bunshin** (bloody bunshin) **which take much more chakra, but can only disappear when killed or if you dismiss them.**

"That's awesome!" Nariko exclaimed, "You should teach me that later. Then I should pick something else…"

Se scanned the scroll, much like a small child in a candy shop.

"What about this one? _Kaen no Fuu_ (seal of fire), that sounds cool. I think it makes a seal that releases fire on command."

**Your level of genius amazes me at times…**

"Just say yes or no."

**Go for it.**

And for the next few hours, Nariko played with fire.

-

"Finished," she panted.

The fire seals had taken a lot of chakra, but she had finally gotten it down. Now she could pass. All around were charred circles of grass and the blonde decided that it would be in her best intrest to move to another spot.

"Hey, you!"

Nariko turned to find that her teacher Iruka had found her.

"Why did you steal that scroll?" he demanded.

"Mizuki-sensei said that if I learned something and got away with it, I could pass, but since you caught me…"

"What?" he asked, "Mizuki lied to you. That is the Forbidden Scroll of Seals, filled with many powerful secret jutsu."

"Really? No wonder these jutsu are so cool…" Nariko replied.

"What I'm going to you won't be 'cool'," someone said from behind.

Both of them turned to see Mizuki behind them, ready to steal the scroll.

-

"P-p-please, no more," he pleaded.

Mizuki had said that Nariko was a monster because of blah, blah, blah and he was going to take the scroll and kill them. The blonde already knew all of that though, and didn't care. Then, he called the Kyuubi and the blond esome very nastly things. And Nariko plus Kyuubi plus anger can never equal a good thing. Sadly for Mizuki, he couldn't stand up to Nariko and her new ability (plus the anger factor) which had insinerated him from the thighs down.

Crouching down next to her former teacher, Nariko whispered, "I was taught by the youkai themselves that a true warrior never leaves their enemies alive…"

His eyes widened as she burned his body to a crisp.

"N-n-naruto?" Iruka asked, "Or whatever your name is, why did you kill him?"

"A true warrior never leaves an enemy alive to attack another day," she replied, "Why? Was it a bit harsh for you?"

He shook his head. Iruka had never known much about the blonde really. She had always kept away from adults, not that she didn't have a good reason for it.

"Iruka-sensei, I think you need to go to the hospital now."

He had indeed suffered a wound from Mizuki that needed to be treated.

"I'm sorry I ever thought you shouldn't become a shinobi."

-

The next day, Nariko proudly walked to the academy. Not only was she now a ninja, but she was also able to get rid of the horrible jumpsuit she had to wear and instead wore the rust-red tshirt and black shorts she had when she was younger. Her usual mop of blonde hair had actually been combed for once, letting it fall hlaf-way to her shoulders.

She walked into the classroom, blonde bangs covering the shining hitai-ate. Heads turned towards her, not sure who the 'newcommer' was.

"Hey, new girl, who are you?" Sakura demanded.

Nariko's foxy grin spread across her face.

"Don't you recognize me or has your billboard forehead betrayed you?"

"How dare you say that?! I just asked you a question!"

The blonde kept grinning.

"Uzumaki Nariko doesn't give slack to useless bitches."

The portion of the class that was paying attention stared. So the rumor actually WAS true…

-

**A/N:** IMPOTANT HERE: I wrote this last week but document manager has not let me upload documents so I couldn't post this. Thus the GIANT note on my UL... Anyway... Back to the original A/N...

So, here is the chapter. Hopefully, it wasn't too bad or OOC, but with the killing thing, don't forget, she lives with two youkai, one of them being a perverted flirt (Takeshi)… Also, I'd like to add that in this, Nariko does NOT like Sakura at all because she gives kunoichi a bad name (as do the other fangirls) as useless and, well, bitchy. Anyway, I'm glad to finally get the first chapter that actually would relate to the actual series. So far, as for suggestionss for teams, we've got them all for Nariko and Sasuke on a team and the third member should be either: Sakura, Kiba, or Shikamaru

So those are the choices for team 7, pick one, or anti-pick one. I'd tell you the count so far, but… I don't have to so I won't. Feel free to vote, but if you just say your vote, it will NOT be counted. I don't really like spam vote-reviews, they are a bit annoying. Well, I was thinking of doing the original teams but number1animefan made some good points too so… Review please? Oh, and if it isn't too much trouble, it'd be nice if you'd R&R my other fic, the one I just finished. Plan of the Light isn't very popular so… yeah… thanks 


	12. Team 7

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 12: Team 7**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** Wait… you're expecting something?

-

The class just looked at the blonde as if she had two heads. The person they had all known as Naruto, the troublemaking genius, had been a girl the whole time.

"Uzumaki, you act as if you're so great," Sasuke smirked, "When you're not; you're just a wannabe shinobi."

Although she was steaming on the inside, Nariko kept a calm demeanor.

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?" she replied.

Almost instantly, the blonde had to cover her ears at the shrieks of angry fangirls. The Uchiha just glared at her.

"You have no idea what goes on in the shinobi world."

"You think so?" she challenged, "I bet you don't."

Nariko and Sasuke were now having what seemed like a glaring contest. The blonde was balancing on the wood of the desk so they were only inches apart, much to the discomfort of the fangirls.

In unison, the fangirls yelled, "Get away from Sasuke-kun!"

The sheer loudness of the yells made Nariko jump, and she… lost her balance on the desk.

She fell forward, her lips meeting Sasuke's in an odd twist in fate. Neither of the two could process what had happened for a few seconds. As soon as the shock-factor was over, Nariko slugged him in the face when he didn't pull away instantly. The punch sent Sasuke back a few rows of desks.

"Disgusting!" Nariko exclaimed, "I think I feel sick…"

She bent over, clutching her stomach.

"You stole Sasuke-kun's first kiss!" Ino exclaimed while the other fangirls were rushing over to the Uchiha.

"Shikamaru," Nariko began, "Is being a teme contagious or am I safe?"

The classroom door opened as all this trouble was going on.

-

The night before had been pretty tough for Iruka. He had had to chase down a student, watch his traitorous friend be insinuated, and go to the hospital to treat a wound said traitor gave him. He was hoping for a nice easy class where he could just read off the new teams and go home.

The teacher opened the classroom door to find everything in total and utter chaos. Desks were turned over, girls were crowded around Uchiha, Nariko was on the ground as if she was going to die, and the rest of the class was far from tranquility.

"Everyone, get in your seats!" he yelled.

Slowly, but surely, the class settled down.

"Excuse me," Sakura began, "But where is Mizuki-sensei?"

"He… won't come back to teach for a while…"

Nariko began to laugh at that statement. All eyes were on the blonde.

"That's an understatement," she laughed.

"Nariko, that's enough on that subject," Iruka interjected.

"Fine, fine," she replied, "But you could be next."

He froze and cast a wary glance at the blonde.

"Just joking."

**Humans are so fun to taunt…**

'Yeah, sometimes…' Nariko thought back.

After a nervous silence, Iruka spoke again.

"As you know, as ninja, you will be put into teams of three along with a jonin sensei. Right now, you will be put in teams based on your average grades in the academy. Listen for your name."

Back in the back of the room, Hinata and Shikamaru gave questioning glances at their friend.

"Nariko," Hinata whispered, "Did you…"

"It couldn't be helped," Nariko whispered back, "He was going to betray Konoha and tried to kill me; I had to. It's one of my rules."

"I still don't get how you can say stuff like that so easily," Shikamaru added.

"I'm… used to it; you know what I mean…"

"Team 7," Iruka began, interrupting their silent conversation, "Will be Uzumaki Nariko, Nara Shikamaru and-"

The blonde was crossing her fingers, even though she had already thought out how the teams would turn out.

"-Uchiha Sasuke under Hatake Kakashi."

Two groans of disappointment came from the back of the room.

"I don't get it!" Nariko exclaimed, "Why would I be stuck with HIM if the teams are arranged by grade?"

Iruka sighed.

"Because you didn't take the kunoichi classes, you basically failed them all, making you the dead last of this year."

"That's not fair though! You know what I can do!" she argued.

"The teams are done already and just be glad you passed in the first place."

Nariko just gave him a cold glare before directing her attention elsewhere.

-

Nariko drummed her fingers on the desk, waiting for her new sensei to arrive. It had been at least an hour and the guy hadn't shown up yet. Even the teachers went home, leaving the blonde, Shikamaru, and Sasuke in the building.

"When the Hell will he get here?" Nariko asked out loud.

"Jonin shouldn't be late," Sasuke said, "It must be something important."

Nariko rolled her eyes right before an idea popped into her head. She went over to the chalkboard and took and eraser, opened the door slightly, and put the eraser in the gap.

"This'll teach him to be late."

"He's a jonin," Sasuke stated, "He's not going to fall for that."

Nariko just ignored him.

"Hey Shikamaru, what do you think?"

He lazily looked at her.

"About you waking me up?"

"Haha, yeah…"

"Well," he began, "Just dropping an eraser isn't quite you. Anything else?"

The blonde thought a moment before snatching the eraser down and turned her back to her new teammates. What they didn't know was that she was using her new jutsu…

Footsteps sounded through the hall and Nariko quickly set up her prank before running back to her desk. The door opened and a silver haired man caught the falling eraser. He looked at them with his one eye, his other being covered by his hitai-ate along with the face mask he wore.

"If you're going to set a trap, make sure no one sees you," he said, holding up the eraser.

Nariko just grinned.

"Are you sure about that sensei?"

"What are you- ah!"

He dropped the now flaming eraser on the ground. He looked at the three genin.

"Based on first impressions, I hate you all."

**What's new?**

Nariko stifled a laugh before following her new sensei to the roof.

-

"Ok, all of you introduce yourselves," Kakashi began, "Say your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future."

"Why don't you go first sensei, to show us how it's done," Nariko said.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi, likes and dislikes… Dreams for the future? I haven't really thought of it. As for hobbies, I have few. Now, you first blondie."

"I'm Uzumaki Nariko. I like my friends and two others who are close to me, eating ramen, and learning new techniques. I don't like teme, the villagers, and anyone who's my enemy. My hobbies… are strange, and my dream for the future is more like a pact I made with a friend. We're going to prove that people like us aren't monsters, and actually can become something, even a hero."

'She's not your average girl…' he thought.

"Now you, lazy," Kakashi instructed.

Shikamaru sighed.

"I'm Nara Shikamaru and it's too troublesome to say anything else."

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like many things, and I dislike many. I do not have a dream, but an ambition that will become a reality. I'm going to revive my clan and kill a certain someone…"

"You need to lighten up a bit Uchiha," Nariko stated, "It's not good for your health."

"Uzumaki, stay out of it; you wouldn't understand."

"You always say that, but you have no idea of what goes on in my life. Remember it was me that helped drag your sorry ass to the hospital that day."

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru groaned, "Will the married couple break it up?"

Two pairs of angry eyes adverted themselves towards the Nara boy.

"Hello, I'm still here," Kakashi said, "Tomorrow is your first mission."

"Details?"

"It's survival training. Out of the 27 graduates, only nine will get to become genin. Meet me in training ground 7 at 5 AM tomorrow and bring all of your ninja gear. By the way, don't eat breakfast or you'll puke."

-

It was daybreak and Nariko wriggled out of her sleeping bag to get ready to pass whatever test it was she had to do. She looked around the cave she had lived in for years, surprised to not find Takeshi either sleeping or even in the cave.

"He's usually still asleep at this hour…"

**Kit… It's way past 5 AM…**

"WHAT?!"

**You didn't set the alarm and slept in late, that's what happened.**

The blonde jumped up and got dressed at rapid speed. She grabbed her ninja gear which was lying around and stuffed it in her pockets and weapon pouches.

"I got to get going or I'll be going back to the academy!"

**You're already late; you might as well eat something and take your time.**

"But he said-"

**You're eating breakfast; now.**

Nariko sighed before giving in and searching for some instant ramen she could quickly cook. She slurped up the noodles at lightning speed before setting out for training ground 7, bringing some breakfast for her friend.

-

"Did you get lost or something?"

Nariko scowled at the Uchiha.

"No. I didn't set my alarm; it's not like I have those fancy electric ones. So… where's sensei?"

She figured that he was late just like the day before. She walked to the tree Shikamaru was under and nudged him awake.

"Hey, Shikamaru, want some breakfast?"

She offered him a cup of instant ramen.

"Let me sleep you troublesome girl…"

"Kakashi-sensei said not to eat breakfast," Sasuke said.

"I don't care what he said. He's late, and I'm eating."

Sasuke then began to ignore the blonde, letting silence reign over the grounds… for the next two hours…

-

"You're late!" Nariko exclaimed.

Kakashi just shrugged.

"Your test today is to take one of these bells from me," he said, holding up two silver bells.

"You have to have a bell in one hour. Because there are only two bells, one of you will be sent back to the academy. You will be allowed to use shuriken because without the intent to kill, you won't be able to pass this test."

"Sensei," Nariko started, "You didn't even see my trap! And you expect us to try and kill you?"

"Those who don't have abilities," he replied, "Tend to complain more, so I just ignore the guy with the lowest score."

Nariko's eye twitched at that statement; she was almost the top student before her cover was blown! She wanted to attack him right then and there, but didn't. He was a jonin for a reason.

"Kakashi-sensei," Nariko began, "I so want to sever your head right now…"

"You think you can?" he asked, "Maybe I can like you guys after all. Begin!"

The three genin jumped to the trees.

-

'I should surprise attack him,' Nariko thought.

**That's not going to work kit.**

'Then YOU give me some ideas!'

**What about your lazy friend? Isn't he a genius or something?**

'Right! Thanks Kaa-san!'

Nariko left her hiding spot to search for her lazy friend.

-

She spotted him under a tree, gazing at the clouds.

"Shikamaru," she whispered, "What are you doing?"

"What do you think you troublesome girl?" he whispered back.

"We need to work together to pass."

"I know. I was waiting for you to find me; searching is troublesome…"

**He's lucky that breathing isn't troublesome.**

Nariko quietly laughed.

"What did she say?"

A while back, Nariko had told her friends about the Kyuubi, figuring that since they were friends, they should know. Especially since they sometimes got involved in the villagers' mob parties along with the sometimes bloody aftermath. Yes, living with two demons does change a person…

"Nothing Shikamaru," she replied, "So how about a plan?"

The lazy boy sighed.

"Nariko, I need to you distract him so I can use my _kagemane no jutsu_ and freeze him. Then you can get the bells."

"That's your big plan?" she asked, "Simple, but good."

-

Kakashi was leisurely reading his orange book when a flash of yellow and red jumped in front of him.

"You and me, right now Kakashi-sensei in a fair fight!" the blonde exclaimed.

The jonin sighed.

"Ninja tactic #1, taijutsu."

'Damn,' Nariko thought, 'I suck at taijutsu. Oh well, I have to try anyway.'

The blonde balled her hand into a fist tried to punch her sensei. He easily caught it while still reading his book.

"That won't work on me."

"Oh yeah?" she challenged.

Focusing chakra into her fist, Nariko sent flames into her sensei's hand to let her hand go. He looked up from his book at her.

"That trick won't work twice," he said.

The blonde only grinned.

"It won't have to."

Kakashi looked at her, confused until he saw a shadow rapidly approaching him. He jumped away from the incoming attack right before it would connect with him. Nariko's grin quickly faded as she realized that Shikamaru's shadow had caught her instead.

"Don't let the enemy get behind you, idiot," Kakashi said.

Shikamaru released the jutsu just as Kakashi said, "Hidden Village of Kohona's secret taijutsu master art: a Thousand Years of Pain!"

The blonde went shooting off towards a lake, the whole time cursing her perverted sensei. In seconds, she had landed in the water, steaming with anger.

'He's going to die.'

-

Sasuke watched from the bushes at his fellow teammates failed to capture the bells.

'Idiots,' he thought.

Currently, Kakashi was going towards the spot Shikamaru was, and Sasuke took this as an opening. He took many shuriken and threw them at his sensei. Kakashi, though, was able to jump over them. Because of this, the stars went into the bushes, right where Shikamaru was hiding.

"Damn it," he cursed.

Sasuke however, was running away from the spot, making sure that Kakashi couldn't trace the shuriken to his location.

-

Back in the lake, Nariko had just gotten out of the water when she heard a fight going on. She walked over to where Sasuke was trying to get the bells by himself. The blonde watched as Sasuke used his taijutsu skills and almost get the bells. But what really set her off was when their sensei finally put away his book because of the Uchiha.

**You have to admit, you're mini-fight was pathetic…**

'Should I help him? He can't do this alone,' she thought.

"_Katon: Goukayuu no jutsu_ (Fire style: grand fireball)!" he yelled.

**No… Let him fail…**

"_Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no jutsu _(Earth style: Earth decapitation)!"

Sasuke was pulled into the earth, with only his head sticking out of the ground.

"Now you're heads above the others," Kakashi teased.

**Now's your chance.**

Nariko nodded before gathering enough chakra to shoot fire at the jonin. She then ran in, around the fireballs so she could get behind him and plant a seal. But by the time she had done that, he had moved and the fireballs had hit her.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed.

"You can't beat me," Kakashi said, once again taking out his book.

"Put away that book!"

He glanced at her.

"I might as well read it; I need to know what happens next."

Nariko was fuming yet again at her sensei. He seemed to not take her seriously at all. Enough so he would read that neon colored book. Then she remembered seeing it before. It was in a series of books that Takeshi shoplifted from time to time. She had once tried to read it, but found it disgusting and ended up burning it.

"Kakashi-sensei," Nariko began, "You shouldn't read that perverted book in front of your students."

He just shrugged and kept reading.

"You have less than a half hour left you know…"

The blonde brushed herself off before thinking up a good way to distract him long enough. She could always do a frontal assault, but that never worked. Or she could lure him to the fire seal she had just made. She needed help.

"Sasuke," she said after getting within three feet of him, "We need to work together to get those bells."

"If I can't beat him, then you can't dead last," Sasuke said, "Working with you would only lessen my chances."

'That arrogant teme!' she mentally exclaimed, 'All he does is bluff, I bet! Wait a minute… bluffing…'

"Sensei, I bet I can beat you," she stated while moving on her seal, "And if it weren't for that ass-poking move, I bet I could've gotten a bell."

He just sighed.

"Arrogance will lead to your loss."

"So, are you afraid to attack me or do you just like to talk?"

In only seconds, Kakashi was behind her and sent out a kick. The blonde was thrown back several feet, but she had been able to get him on the seal. Nariko mentally set off the seal, sending fire out around her sensei. Almost immediately, a shadow shot out to the flames. Unfortunately though, instead of their sensei, there only was a charred log.

"Nice trick," he said, "But not good enough."

Nariko scowled before jumping away, back into the trees.

-

Sasuke watched the blonde's pathetic attempt at taijutsu as he was still trapped in the dirt. Her original tactic was good, but Kakashi was too good for it. Plus, he had already seen her jutsu, making it tough for a surprise attack.

'Working with dead lasts… I've got to get out!' Sasuke thought, 'No way I'll let them beat me.'

-

Nariko decided that it would be best if she regrouped with Shikamaru, seeing that the current plan wasn't working very well. She couldn't seem to distract him long enough for Shikamaru's jutsu to catch him. She found the lazy boy waiting under a tree.

"This isn't working," she told him, "I can't distract him long enough; my close-range combat skills suck."

"What did you do to Mizuki?" Shikamaru asked.

"It's not going to work Shikamaru… I was able to get behind him, wrap my arms around him, and then set him on fire with seals. Kakashi's too fast and he can even read that perverted book of his."

He looked up at her.

"I think I have an idea that will work."

-

Nariko groaned; her friend's plan was disgusting, for her anyway. But if it helped them pass, then she had to. The blonde quickly did the henge before walking out into the open.

-

Kakashi was reading his book while watching Sasuke try to get out of the ground when he heard someone emerge from the bushes. He turned to see a drop-dead gorgeous, sexy, blonde, naked female.

"Hey there," she seductively said while walking forwards.

The thought that it was a trap blinked into his mind until she winked one of her dark lashed azure eyes. By now, she was face-to-face with him, innocently wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Kakashi…" she whispered.

Her hands began to move down until they met his waist.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked.

Then he realized that it all was a trick played by his students. The blonde had the silver bells in hand and unhenged, running off, also turning a greenish tint. He went to go after the trickster, but found he couldn't.

"Do we pass Kakashi-sensei?" Shikamaru asked, showing a silver bell.

His shadow receded, allowing his sensei to move again.

"Shikamaru!" Nariko yelled, "I SO am going to get revenge from you making me do that. Sensei was right; I am going to throw up breakfast…"

The blonde was now puking into a nearby bush. Shikamaru just sighed.

"No, you don't pass yet," Kakashi said, "There's still five minutes left; plenty of time for you to lose the bells."

"Troublesome…"

Nariko pulled off a weak grin.

"Not necessarily…"

The three males looked at her (Sasuke had by now freed himself) with questioning looks.

"Take one step forward," Nariko began, "And you won't be happy…"

**Didn't I tell you multiple fire seals would work?**

"How can this happen?!" Sasuke exclaimed, "You two are the dead lasts and I'm the best!"

"Uchiha," Nariko began, "How can you act as if this is OUR fault? I offered to work with you, but we just weren't good enough for you."

"I need to pass," he said, "To kill him…"

Nariko sighed. She had seen what had happened to his family, and she didn't blame him for being angry, but he was going about it all wrong. All he ever did was focus on revenge, and not actually having a life. In a way, she felt sorry for him.

Sending flames to her hands, she softened the metal of the bell and pulled out the ball inside. Nariko walked over to Sasuke and placed the round object in his hand.

"You owe me," she said before turning to their sensei.

The alarm sounded, signaling that it was noon and the test was over.

"Kakashi sensei," she began, "Uchiha here has a bell or at least part of it so we all pass."

Sasuke looked at the blonde in disbelief. They had been rivals, heck even enemies, and she still gave him a chance to pass. It wasn't like she was a fangirl or anything.

"Why?" he asked.

"Don't think it's anything serious," she warned, "As rivals, we need to stick together; if you get held behind, who else can I beat and feel good about it?"

Kakashi just watched two of his new students argue wondering if everyday was going to be another argument. At least two of them were able to realize that teamwork was the only way they could pass. Sasuke was lucky that Nariko was kind enough to help him out.

"Hey," Kakashi said, "Meet here tomorrow at five so we can start our first team mission."

Nariko smiled triumphantly but turned to face the others.

"Not a word of what happened, got it?"

The three males turned a bit red, remembering the tactic that she had to use to pass. Sasuke had the guts to not reply as 'yes'.

"Why?"

"Because if you do, someone I know who's very overprotective will kill you."

The blonde knew that if anyone tried to threaten her, Takeshi, who she had come to see as a brother, would beat or kill them which she was pretty sure was a good thing.

"And you sensei," Nariko began, "I will set off those seals…"

"Come on Nariko," Shikamaru said, "I think they get it…"

'Wow,' Sasuke thought, 'She's a lot scarier as a girl than before…'

And so began Team 7.

-

**A/N:** Ok, so I wanted to get this done and spent five hours typing all of this text. I believe this chapter was good, or at least made up for it in length. So, as you can see, Shikamaru is the third member of team 7. Count the reviews if you don't believe me, but he got at least half of the votes. Well, there you go. Next, we shall be staring the wave arc, finally!


	13. The SUPER Mission to Wave

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 13: The SUPER Mission to Wave**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** You know the answer…

-

Currently, Nariko was threateningly close to being one of the first to fail a D mission. Shikamaru was holding her back from killing a certain cat they were supposed to rescue.

"Let go! That creature need's its head torn off!" she exclaimed.

"Do you know how troublesome that would be? All that work and no pay…"

"I don't care! It deserves to die."

The cat, Tora, was looking at them as if they were idiots and began to run away. Sasuke then jumped after it and caught the cat once and for all.

"Good job Sasuke," Kakashi said, "As for you two…"

The two friends were currently very close together, due to the fact that Shikamaru had to hold her back with all his strength by wrapping his arms around her waist. And being Kakashi, he couldn't resist taking the moment to embarrass his students.

"Well sensei," Nariko began, "That cat deserves to die right now…"

Not only had it been a waste of two hours this time around, but the cat had also bit her, pissed on her when caught the first time, clawed at her face, and had entered fox territory. No feline was going to go, let alone claim, any of that land. And because it was the mission, she was not allowed to let the cat get hurt. That meant that team 7 had to actually protect a stupid, violent, pampered cat.

"Sorry Nariko, but we need to return the cat in one piece."

"Easy for you to say," The blonde began, "At least you don't smell like cat. Oh, and did I mention that you did NOTHING?"

The jonin sighed.

"Let's just return the cat and end this mission."

At the moment, the cat leapt from Sasuke's grasp and ran away again. The mission was not over yet.

-

Nariko dropped Tora from the scruff of its neck into its owner's arms. The blonde gave an animalistic glare that told the cat that if it ever ran away again, she would kill it.

"Oh thank you!" a large woman, and owner of the cat exclaimed.

"Your cat shouldn't be running away for a long time," the blonde stated.

As soon as the woman left, all of team 7, excluding Kakashi who was reading, turned to glare at the Hokage. It had been the third time they had had to catch that animal that day. But being Hokage, he proceeded to give them their next mission anyway.

"Team 7, you will include babysitting, shopping in the village, and digging up potatoes."

A collective groan came from the genin.

"These missions suck!" Nariko exclaimed, "Can't we do something more… important than chores?"

"It's more complicated than that Nariko," the Hokage explained, "D-missions are for genin so they can get the hang of teamwork and being a team in general. Higher missions are for more experienced ninja."

The blonde rolled her eyes.

"I've been through worse than what most 'experienced' genin see, especially when we're talking C-missions. And Kakashi-sensei is a jonin, we can take on a 'dangerous' C-mission, thank you very much."

"She's right," Sasuke added, "We also need a challenge to advance our skills."

Both turned to Shikamaru for support who only shrugged in indifference, as usual. After a moment's pause, along with Nariko's big blue puppy-eyes, the Sandaime gave in.

"You now are assigned a C-mission. Team 7, you are to escort a bridge builder to Wave country. Come in!"

The doors creaked open and an old drunk man with sake in hand walked into the room.

"I'm Tazuna; the super bridge builder! Hey, wait a minute, what's up with the brats?"

**He better not be including me in this. I'm older than his whole family.**

'Where have you been?' Nariko mentally questioned.

**Like I would want to get involved with a lowly cat…**

"This is the team that will be escorting you."

"These are just kids! I don't want to pay for brats!"

The rivals of team 7s' eyes twitched. Shikamaru just sighed, seeing as anything else would be too troublesome.

"I guess you get what you pay for…"

"Look here old man, I can easily end this mission early…" Nariko growled, "Not that it would be a success."

All eyes were on the blonde. Truly, she didn't know why she said that, maybe it was his constant insults in the past minute? Usually it took at least an hour for her to want to kill someone; the comments from Kyuubi also helped that feeling a bit… No, it was something else… It was like the feeling she had felt three years ago…

'Kaa-san?' she mentally questioned.

**I'll explain later, when we have more time to converse.**

The room was silent.

"Uh… sorry," she smiled, "Sometimes it's hard to tell when I'm joking or not, heh…"

The old man sighed, mentally scolding 'kids and their jokes'. Kakashi though, knew better than that. She definitely was lying, but the client was drunk and he'd just roll with it; she WAS a female after all…

-

That had been a close one; she was afraid the Hokage would assign another team to the mission instead of them. But they were going to go on their way to Wave Country in about an hour, enough time for them (mostly their client) to forget about the incident. Nariko headed home to pack some stuff and change into clean clothes.

"Hey," she called, spotting Takeshi at the nearby pond.

He was currently in human form, for what reasons she didn't want to know. It was a habit of his to turn human and kill bandits to rob them along with getting any bounty one may have on his head. Nariko had gone once, and although she didn't have a problem with killing people anymore (Due to many… influences) she didn't like turning it into a sport no matter how profitable it may be.

"Hey," the red-head responded, "Don't you have 'missions' to do?"

"I am; we're going to leave in an hour to escort this old guy to Wave Country. Although I don't like him, it's still better than weeding," the blonde explained, "But… I don't know why but I wanted to kill the guy for an insult… Kaa-san hasn't told me why yet, but…"

"No problem," he grinned, "It's quite obvious what's going on."

"Really?"

"Of course, you're entering demon-hood now. Remember that incident in Suna?"

She nodded; one doesn't forget something as destructive as that.

"Well," he continued, "That was your first tail or awakening I think… Since the Old Hag has nine tails though, and the chakra fusion is slow because of the seal, it's less noticeable unlike your other friend."

That would explain why she had been easy to anger lately.

**He's right, except the part about me being a hag… If I had my own body he wouldn't be saying these things…**

"Thanks," she said before heading off into the cave.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Takeshi mumbled, "Damn, she smells strongly like cat…"

-

Team 7 met at the east gate ready start their mission. Luckily, Tazuna was at least a little more sober so he wasn't cracking insults. They set out, hoping to reach Wave by the end of the day.

"Are you sure I'll be safe?" he grumbled.

"Don't worry, I'm a jonin," Kakashi said, "You'll be fine."

Sasuke then asked a question about Wave that Nariko didn't really care about. So instead of listening, she decided to have a chat with a demon.

'So, anything else I should know?' Nariko mentally questioned.

**You knew this would happen.**

'A little warning would be nice though. I don't have to pretend you're a mystery, but I'm not supposed to let you turn me demonic willingly.

**Why not?**

'It would be… better if they didn't know. Not even my friends should know unless necessary; it could be dangerous for them.'

**Don't be intimidated by the villagers; they should know by now not to mess with you, let alone your friends, unless they're feeling suicidal that is.**

'I… don't like being known as a killer. I'm not evil… Not even Old Man trusts me as much as he used to.'

**He could be sending ninja after you, but I of course would interfere, along with that gaki Takeshi.**

The blonde nodded in understanding. There were worse jinchuuriki, but… Shikamaru nudged her with his elbow.

"Are you ok?" he asked, "And as troublesome as it is, you've been unusually silent."

The blonde smiled.

"Just… you know, thinking."

He knew what she meant and would ask later. Shikamaru's gaze then drifted to a puddle in the middle of the path.

"This is troublesome but, it's summer and it hasn't rained for days; why is there a puddle there?"

Suddenly, two figures jumped out of the water shooting chains at Kakashi which wrapped around the jonin. In only seconds, they pulled tightly, destroying the man. Before any of them could call out a cliché, 'Sensei!' the shinobi leaped forward at the bridge builder and genin. A chain shot out towards Tazuna, but was caught by Nariko's flame encased fist. Her quick thinking saved the old man, but the chain had ripped up her palm badly.

Sasuke threw out kunai and shuriken to pin the chains to nearby trees. While they were distracted, Shikamaru used his shadow to prevent them from escaping. Tazuna just looked on wide-eyed at his would-be killers.

Nariko grasped her wounded hand in pain.

"That wasn't very smart," Sasuke stated, looking at her hand.

"I didn't see you do anything," she scowled, "And I heal fast."

With her left hand, the blonde withdrew a kunai and held it up to the neck of one of the nin.

"You may want to release this one," she stated.

The shadow user followed his instruction. As soon as the shadow retreated, she pressed the kunai into his neck, letting the man suffocate in his own blood.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, surprised by her actions.

"It couldn't be helped," she replied, "Besides, when Shikamaru's jutsu retreats we can take on one guy, instead of two."

The shinobi, who appeared to be from the mist village, glared at the remaining members of team 7. They had killed his brother and he wasn't going to get paid for not completing the mission. Unexpectedly though, Shikamaru's shadow receded. All three genin got ready, kunai in hand. Luckily for them, though, Kakashi poofed out of nowhere and stopped the nin from attacking.

"Good job," he said, "I needed to see who they were going after. Though, I didn't think you would actually kill one."

"Sensei," Shikamaru began, deterring the conversation from his friend, "Do you mind explaining what's going on?"

"I would like to ask you the same question," he said to the bridge builder, "C-missions are for protection from threats like bandits, not other shinobi; mind explaining?"

The elderly man looked down in shame.

"Yes, they were after me," he admitted, "You're going to quit the mission, aren't you? I don't blame you, but my super grandson will cry, and my daughter will hate the Konoha forever, not to mention the bridge will never bring prosperity to Wave Country."

Kakashi sighed.

"You'll have to tell me exactly what's going on then."

He nodded.

"Hey," Sasuke interrupted, "That guy, what are we going to do with him? I mean, we can't let him live and report to whoever sent him."

"True," Kakashi replied.

"It's settled then," Nariko interjected, "I'll do it."

"Hn?"

"I'll kill the guy for you guys."

Silence…

**You know that volunteering to kill someone doesn't help the image you want to portray.**

"I don't like it when people argue on what course my life is going to take," the Mist shinobi spoke, for the first time.

"Nariko, you volunteering is unexpected, I-"

"Then it's settled Sensei!"

She bashed the guy on the head hard enough to knock him out.

"It wouldn't be nice to kill him like an execution," she explained.

And in seconds, the enemy was neutralized.

-

"This is dishonorable," Sasuke stated.

The blonde was pillaging the former ninja of all money and other valuable possessions.

"When you don't have lots of money or an income, this tends to be a real jackpot, especially nukenin."

"You are shameful."

The blonde just shrugged. Suddenly, she felt faint.

**Those chains must've been poisoned. I'll take care of that…**

The blonde shrugged it off and followed Kakashi who was already starting the mission again. She waved to Sasuke.

"Come on teme!"

Before he followed, the Uchiha noticed that although her hand was covered in dried blood, her palm was totally healed…

'Strange…'

-

**A/N:** Sorry for the slow update, I kinda lost track of time. It happens when you have a mind like mine… So, that explains what's happening to Nariko and it gives a better reason for Mizuki's death. That's all I have to say, I think… Oh yeah, just as a note, when I use parenthesis, it is NOT an A/N but just a thing I put in like I do in all my writing…


	14. New Enemies

**Nariko **

**- **

**Chapter 14: New Enemies **

**- **

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, well, I COULD put something here but… uh, no.

-

"And that's what's going on right now," Tazuna finished.

He had just explained the problem in Wave Country, involving a crime lord, Gato, and tyranny. Because the bridge would bring wealth the Wave, said crime lord wanted Tazuna dead, so he could continue his control over the people.

The bridge builder looked over at Team 7, the boat underneath them bobbing in the water.

"Are you still in? I understand if you back out."

"I'm in," Nariko replied, "No way we can back down now."

Kakashi nodded in agreement as did Sasuke.

"Well," Shikamaru began, "If everyone else is going to carry this out, then it would be too troublesome to decline."

"Thank you," Tazuna replied.

"So…" Nariko began, "How much of the bridge is left to be completed?"

"About half a mile, which will take three weeks tops."

The blonde nodded as the boat stopped.

'Three weeks?' she thought, 'How will I survive these people that long?'

-

Team 7 and Tazuna were just walking through the last part of their trip when the female member of the team stopped and took a glance around. She reached down to take a kunai from its holster. In a quick motion, she threw the weapon into a nearby bush. But when she went to check, the only thing there was a dead white rabbit, which was now bleeding all over the place.

"What was that about?" Sasuke asked, not really interested.

"I could've sworn that someone was here…"

"Hold on," Kakashi began, "This is a white rabbit… meaning that during this time of year, it could only be this color if it was in captivity…"

"A kawarimi," Shikamaru finished.

All four ninja became on guard and ran to protect Tazuna.

"Duck!" Kakashi yelled as a large blade whizzed above them.

Sasuke forced chakra into his legs, allowing him to push Tazuna down in time. The blade embedded itself into a nearby tree where a man with bandages over the lower half of his face landed.

"So… you killed the demon brothers," he said as he turned to face them.

Kakashi's eye narrowed in realization.

"Momochi Zabuza… Who would have thought you would work for Gato."

The eyebrow-less freak laughed.

"All for the right price, Sharingan Kakashi…"

**You humans and your titles…**

'That guy…' Nariko thought, 'Has no eyebrows…'

"I came for the old man," Zabuza said, "_Kirigakure no Jutsu_!"

The area around team 7 became foggy, making it hard for any of them to see. The three genin imediately surrounded the bridge builder as Kakashi prepared to showdown with the Demon of the Mist. Said nuke-nin was now seemingly invisible, unleashing a powerful killing intent.

Nariko turned to her left to find that Sasuke was shaking in fear.

"Hey, don't be afraid… dobe," she whispered, a grin on her face.

"How can you be so calm?" he retorted, pushing aside the insult.

She didn't have time to respond as Zabuza's zanbato appeared inbetween them.

"You should spend less time talking, and more time doing your job," he said.

"Try growing some eyebrows," Nariko responded as she thrust a flame encased punch at him.

They were surprised that he let her make contact, and even more so when 'Zabuza' turned into a puddle of water.

The former mist nin's laughter echoed throughtout the foggy area. She couldn't see what was going on, but Nariko could tell that Zabuza and Kakashi were fighting and that their sensei had exposed his other eye. Team 7 heard a splash as the battle entered the water nearby.

All was tense as the unseen battle raged on, only a cry of, "_Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu_!" could be heard.

"You never answered me," Sasuke reminded the blonde.

"I've been through a lot of fights before," she answered, "I've almost been killed several times; I know I can survive this."

"A bit cocky aren't you," Zabuza mocked.

The mist had cleared enough for them to see that Zabuza had used a jutsu that imprisoned Kakashi in a water sphere while a water clone stood between them.

"Run!" the copy nin yelled, "He'll kill you all!"

"They can run," Nariko began, "But there's no way I'll back down!"

'Kaa-san, I may need your help,' she silently thought.

**Take what you need.**

Nariko was about to charge when Shikamaru stopped her. All during Kakashi and Zabuza's battle, he had been thinking up a plan.

-

"Ready?" Shikamaru asked after relaying the plan to his teammates.

Sasuke and Nariko nodded. By now, the clone and its creator were getting tired with waiting. The clone raced forward, zanbato raised to kill.

"Now!"

Sasuke whipped out two fuma shuriken, but instead of throwing it at the enemy, he threw one at the blonde. She caught the weapon and ignited the whole thing on fire. She charged the clone with the flaming weapon. Just when they were feet apart, she swerved the the left and headed for the real Zabuza. The clone saw this and came after her.

It was then that she learned that the clone's weapon was just as sharp as the real one… Sometimes it takes a gash on the back to learn that…

The zanbato came back, going for a fatal injury this time, but was stopped by Sasuke's grand fireball. While the clone was distracted, Shikamaru stopped the clone with his shadow posession.

While he was holding it back, Sasuke and Nariko ran forward with their giant shuriken. Nariko threw from Zabuza's left, as Sasuke did from the right. Both went soaring towards their enemy.

"Nice attack, but not good enough!" he yelled as he dodged the attacks

What Zabuza seemed to miss was was the chakra string Sasuke had attatched to Nariko's fuma shuriken, and pulled it back. While Sasuke pulled the molten hot weapon back, the blonde took a fire encased kunai and ran at Zabuza. Since he could not move and was busy getting out of the way of Sasuke's attack, Nariko was able to stab him in the arm, forcing him to let go of the prison. But by instinct and reaction, Zabuza swung his zanbato, gashing the blonde, who was within blade's reach on her side. She went went weak at the knees, clutching the bloody wound.

Back with the clone, Shikamaru had let go of the now destroyed clone.

After his release, Kakashi delivered a kick to Zabuza's chest, bringing part of the battel back to the water.

"_Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu_!"

A giant vortex of water came forth, sweeping Zabuza through the forest they were in. Unfortunately for Nariko, so was she. The Demon of the Mist was thrown into a tree, at team 7's mercy. Before Kakashi could deliver the finial blow though, three senbon came down, peircing Zabuza's neck, killing the man.

"What was that?" Shikamaru wondered.

A shinobi in a mask appeared next to Zabuza, more senbon in hand.

"A hunter nin," Kakashi sighed, "I suppose that you're here to take him?"

The ninja nodded.

"Wait, hold on," Nariko interrupted, still clutching her side, "Could… you do me a favor and cut off his head, just to make sure?"

The request had actually been the Kyuubi's, but the blonde agreed with the logic that he could possibly still be alive.

"Although I appreciate the work you have done here, I can not do that," the mist-nin replied.

"Why not?"

He just shook his head before taking the body off with him.

Kakashi was about to tell Nariko that it was an irrational request when he collapsed from using his sharingan for so long.

"What do we do with him now?" Nariko asked.

"My house is nearby, we can take him there," Tazuna said.

In the heat of the battle, everyone, probaby even Zabuza forgot about him…

"Hey, Nariko," Shikamaru began, "You're bleeding a lot there."

"Yeah, I am, aren't I?" she laughed, "Could you help me out here? I'm not very good with bandages."

"Hold on, what are you-"

Nariko was pulling up her shirt at the moment, and being surrounded by males… they felt awkward. For some odd reason, Sasuke felt embarrassed… Maybe it was because he had never been that close to a girl, or that he forgot the blonde's real gender during the fight and all that other crazy logic. Yeah… that must be it… It was the only logical explanation, right? He was Uchiha Sasuke after all…

"Stop complaining for once," Nariko retorted, "What are you going to do, put those bandages over my shirt? It's not very effective…"

He sighed before taking some gauze the blonde had in her pocket and wrapping the large, yet not deep, wounds. She really was a tomboy…

"It's a good thign you took him out when you did," he sighed, "I was running out of chakra."

The blonde snorted.

"I bet you have just as much chakra as you did when you were eight."

"Not everyone can have as much energy as you…"

"Well, what about sensei?" she asked, changing the subject.

The four of them (Though, team 7 forgot about the person they were supposed to protect again) looked at the unconcious jonin. There was a silence… They'd have to carry him for who knows how long to Tazuna's house.

"I'm not carrying him," Nariko began, "I have two battle wounds."

"And I'm old," Tazuna put in.

Now it was a race to see who could make up a plausible excuse fastest, the loser having to carry the jonin. Sadly for Sasuke, he was drawing a blank.

"Well," Shikamaru began, "I'm low on chakra plus I don't have as much physical strength as you Uchiha…"

He didn't really have anything against Sasuke (despite his friend's rivalry with the boy), but not using the excuse would be, well, troublesome.

Sasuke sighed in defeat but took it like a man, dragging poor Kakashi along the last part of their journey.

-

Kakashi woke up in a strange room, not knowing what had happened to him since he collapsed form over using his sharingan. He looked up from the floor to find that Nariko was asleep in the room, reassuring him that they were probably in Tazuna's house. She looked alive, which was good; and he was alive, which was good. He made a mental checklist of what he had. Life, check. Hitai-ate, check. Mask, che- wait, it was missing! After all those years of mystery he built up, it was all gone.

"What have you done!" he yelled.

Just then, Sasuke walked into the room. He just stared at his sensei. If he hadn't already mastered being emotionless, Sasuke would've had a hard time concealing the laughter that was bumping around in his head; it was just so funny…

Kakashi sighed.

"She drew on my face, didn't she?"

The Uchiha slowly nodded.

"Did Tazuna say that it would take almost a month for him to finish the bridge?"

He nodded again.

"I was going to be dramaticlly cool by saying that Zabuza isn't dead but now..."

Head in hands, Kakashi wondered what he had done to make Kami so mad…

-

**A/N: **So, after all that time, you have the next chapter! I would've typed this earlier, but I've had some very uninspiring things happen:

-The rasengan is not called by it's real name in the English dub; the commercial made my jaw drop, I mean chidori gets to keep it's name, right?

-X-rated popups came up because of some virus, so I had to save my eyes

-Someone called this fic yaoi (by PM, so you won't see it in the reviews) for the ShikaxNari pairing which I totally disagree with

-Upon going to walmart, there were some stupid Naruto 'figurines' that made me want to kneel in the middle of the isle and cry, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! The inhumanity!" but I didn't

Yes, that's what happened, plus I've been busy with stupid marching band. But enough with explaning the lateness of the chapter, it really doesn't matter. If you're wondering, the Kakashi/Zabuza fight was skipped because I forgot what order things happened (I like to keep it close to canon) and I decided to skip it.

Damn, this is long, but it needs to be said. Someone from an anonymous review asked about the GaaxNari pairing, and it was something someone suggested and it makes sense because they're both demon containers.

Lastly, my 300th review is approaching, so I'm going to write an omake or chake for the 300th reviewer about anything related to this fic. So… That's all I have to say.

-


	15. Transformation, and a faux Chake

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 15: Transformation**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto; see previous disclaimers for full details, I guess…

-

Team 7 was in the forest just beyond Tazuna's house. If it weren't for the fact that he needed a crutch to move, Kakashi would have strangled his blonde student for stealing his mask, which she sold back to him. Fortuantely for him, she had drawn a mask on his face with many colored markers that looked… freaky. But, Sasuke hadn't seen his face, so all was not lost. Unbenounced to him though, she had brought a camera with her on the trip…

But back to why they were in the forest. Kakashi was allegedly going to teach them a super cool move that would help better them as shinobi.

"So… what is it sensei?" Nariko asked, "What's this cool technique?"

"I want you all to climb to the top of a tree."

"That's… it?"

"I want you to climb it without your hands."

Sasuke was confused; how was he supposed to do that? But he didn't understand how it would help him avenge his clan.

"That's it?" Nariko asked, "You chased me out here so I can just focus chakra at my feet and walk up a tree?!"

"I didn't know you already knew…" he replied.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, "Can I go to sleep then? There's no point in learning this again."

Sasuke's eye was twitching. How could his teammates already know this? Well, he would just have to master it immediately if he were to stay above the dead lasts.

"If you two are so good at this, then show me."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

He focused chakra to his feet and walked up the tree as if it were nothing. As soon as he got to the first branch, Shikamaru settled down and looked up at the clouds, not caring if he had demonstrated enough or not.

The blonde took it as her turn to go. She focused chakra to her feet and placed a foot on the wood. On contact, she was blasted feet away from the tree. Nariko sat up from the ground and widened her eyes when she saw the large hole in the tree's bark.

"I guess you don't know," Kakashi said, "Get on it."

"But I know it sensei!" she exclaimed, "It's just that my chakra control is fluxuating, I know how to do this!"

"Oh really?" Kakashi challenged, "And just why's that?"

The blonde went silent.

**It would be best if you don't tell him.**

"You're a jonin," she retorted, "I thought you'd be able to tell."

Kakashi was trying to keep his eye from twitching; of all the students… he just had to get Uzumaki Nariko… When the Hokage gave him the files of his students, hers was chock full of papers, memos, and violations. It had been so thick he didn't even bother to read it. It was times like these, where she stole his stuff to sell it back to him and made up retorts that hurt his pride that he did.

"Nariko, until you climb the tree successfully, you keep trying," Kakashi said, "Shikamaru! I'm going to go back to the house; you can come back."

"Too troublesome," he said.

As soon as the copy nin left, Nariko stopped trying to go up the tree.

"Hey, Shikamaru, I'm gonna go practice something else since I was already taught this; wanna come?"

The lazy genius shrugged from his place atop the branch.

"Fine," she replied, "You go do nothing then."

"Where are you going?" Sasuke demanded, "Sensei said to stay here and practice."

"I don't care," she replied, "I have blackmail on him, so I can practically do anything I want. Plus, who'd tell?"

Nariko walked off towards a stream nearby. The Kyuubi was going to teach her how to make clones.

-

'Ok, here it goes!' she mentally exclaimed.

Doing what the Kyuubi had told her, a cloud of smoke appeared and dissipated, revealing a perfect clone. Sure, it had taken several hours with her chakra imbalance and all, but she had it down.

'So, now that I've gotten _kage bunshin_, what about those other kinds you told me about?'

**This is not the place to teach you **_**aka bunshin**_**. The user can only make one, and although they only disappear when killed or run out of chakra, they can be hazardous.**

'How so?' she mentally questioned.

**I didn't mention this before but… there are many hazards to this. First off, you cannot mentally disable the clone unless you have complete control. This clone of you is an actual person with its own ideas and can turn on you if not done correctly.**

'Is this jutsu hard?'

**Not really, but few humans use it because they can't get it right and the clones sometimes go haywire and kill the original.**

Why the Kyuubi had mentioned teaching her that in the first place was beyond her…

**Now, there is one more thing I want to teach you…**

-

Nariko walked into Tazuna's house as the family was having dinner.

"Nariko, where were you," Kakashi questioned, "I doubt you did the training I asked."

"You're actually right this time sensei," The blonde replied, "Instead I did something useful."

"And what exactly was that?" he asked, not really caring, but wanting to bug the blonde.

"Well," she began after thanking Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, for dinner, "I learned some useful jutsu for one thing… I also tried to walk on water, but my chakra is unstable so I got soaked so I had to dry them out because I didn't bring any other clothes. And that's about it; at least I don't have to wash my clothes or shower."

The two male members of team 7 began to eat a little faster, a little red in the face, which the blonde didn't notice at all. Her comment had made both boys come to the same conclusion; she couldn't have dried and worn her clothes at the same time. Nariko, of course knew this, but she was raised in a cave and she had good connections with the people of the Red Light District back in Konoha so she was quite unaffected by anything concerning the 'wonders of life'. She had been there during fox mating season; the images… But off that topic…

Sasuke seemed to be the most affected (seeing as it was troublesome to be embarrassed and such), which shocked the Uchiha boy. He never had really thought of anything like the sort before; his thoughts had mostly remained on killing his brother. If he let his emotions show, how could he ever kill his brother? My point exactly…

"Nariko, I don't really care about the details…" Kakashi sighed.

After gulping the remains of her dinner, she replied, "Then why did you ask?!"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, "Why do you two always have these stupid arguments?"

The truth was that the blonde still held a grudge for the day they had to steal the bells. It had scarred her, even if she had been given 'the talk' at the age of seven along with afore mentioned things. And although not totally the jonin's fault, the blonde had made things tough for him and because of that, he returned the favor. Nariko still acted as her old self, it just was that her sensei, but mostly her Uchiha teammate who treated her differently so… she had to adjust… Plus, she was technically a female teen.

Kakashi and Nariko's banter was cut short by Tazuna's grandson, Inari.

"Why do you even bother?" he asked, "Gato's going to kill you, his men are just too strong."

"Inari!" his mother scolded.

"But it's true!" he retorted.

**Brat…**

Then, out of the blue, the blonde (who looked like she wanted to skin the child alive a few seconds ago) began laughing.

"You are so depressing, more so than 'Avenger' here, that it's funny. I mean, really, how can you be so pessimistic?," she said, then turning serious, "You have a house with running water and electricity, good food, and the people of your home town care about you. What is there to complain about? Be thankful for what you have."

On that solemn note, she excused herself outside.

-

Nariko sat on the roof of the house, looking over the ocean, glistening in the moonlight. In reality, she wanted to maim that brat, but there was no need to kill another person from a different country; yet. The blonde felt a presence of a person, but didn't turn around.

"Are you alright?" Shikamaru sighed, "You've been irritable lately…"

"Shikamaru, I'm becoming a youkai so… I'm a bit worried; last time…"

He nodded in agreement.

"That kid," she began again, "Is lucky. People like him for one thing. To tell you the truth, I wanted to rip his throat out, but I couldn't show that, not here."

"Some people don't know," he replied, "They haven't escaped death before and don't realize that it's possible to go against the odds. We've proven that it's possible."

"True… very true… If I had a bowl of ramen for every time we beat the odds…"

Both of them quietly laughed.

"Damn, I hate that kid," she repeated, "He gets a hat for his birthday and I get an attack from an ANBU."

"Two ANBU," Shikamaru corrected.

"Right, how silly of me to forget…"

-

Kakashi eavesdropped intently on his students. He was shaken when Nariko had said she was going to become demonic, even more so when she said it like it was expected. Was his blonde student willingly letting the Kyuubi take over? It would explain why she was so apt to kill others. At the mention of ANBU coming after them, a wave of realization washed over him. It had been years ago after the Kyuubi Festival that two members of the ANBU were found dead, burns found through their hearts. Two of his students had been involved with the mysterious death of his comrades…

-

It had been over a week since Team 7 had arrived in Wave Country. It had been nothing but boring really. Tazuna had continued building his bridge in peace, nothing really getting in the way except for the weather one day. Yes, everything seemed fine until the day Tazuna arrived at the bridge and everyone there was dead and bleeding all over the bridge; and they had just been cleaned by the rain a few days ago…

"This time…" a voice echoed as the mist around the bridge thickened, "I will kill you all!"

-

Nariko woke up to the sunshine of a perfect morning; something bad was going to happen. The blonde quickly got dressed so she could go to the bridge with her team as soon as possible. When she reached the kitchen, she found Tsunami humming, washing dishes.

"Excuse me Tsunami-san," Nariko began, "But where's my team?"

"They left a short while ago without you so you could catch up on some sleep," she replied, still smiling.

"Hey, where's the br- I mean, Inari?" she asked, quickly eating the breakfast the kindly woman gave her.

"I don't know, he should be back from going outside."

A knock came at the door, but before Tsunami could answer it, two men busted it down. One was a burly tanned man with an eye patch, while the younger of the two had silver hair covered with a ski cap and depth perception. Both had katana.

"Gato sent us to capture you lady," the younger of the two said as they both unsheathed their weapons.

"You two are way out of your league," Nariko stated, standing from the table.

"You think so you shinobi brat?" the other challenged.

The blonde just smirked before jumping forward, kunai in hand, and slit the man's throat. He writhed on the ground until he finally drowned in his own blood. The remaining goon's eyes widened right before he was killed.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Tsunami-san," the blonde apologized as she picked up the two dead men's weapons for her own use.

With a hand sign, she created three clones, which surprised the woman.

"I'll leave these three behind to protect you an Inari," she explained, "Just in case."

The woman nodded, terror stricken eyes wide as her young savior dragged the bodies outside before leaving for the bridge.

-

They were surrounded; Sasuke and Shikamaru had gone to protect the bridge builder, only to be surrounded by five Zabuza clones. Kakashi was busy fight the nuke-nin himself and was of no help to the genin. Sasuke, using his _Hosenka no jutsu_, was able to destroy all of the clones. Shikamaru sighed, glad that he didn't have to get into the troublesome fight too much.

But then there was another foe ready to kill Team 7. It was a boy with long black hair and an Oinin mask with three senbon in each hand. But what was more important was the struggling boy he held captive.

"Fight me and this boy dies," the enemy said.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded, "I thought you were hunting Zabuza."

"He's a fake," Shikamaru stated, "And his name is Haku, we met in the forest the other day; I recognize his voice."

"Don't let my super grandson die, please," Tazuna pleaded.

"Well Sasuke," Shikamaru began, "We have no other choice than to fight."

Sasuke nodded, realizing his teammate's plan. The Uchiha took out a kunai and threw it at Haku. The mist boy went to kill Inari and dodge the attack but found he couldn't. Luckily for him, he had avoided the attack, but he had no control over his movements. Haku found himself letting the child go, who ran to his grandfather.

"Like my _kagemane no jutsu_?" Shikamaru questioned.

Though not familiar with the technique, Haku figured it was some sort of jutsu where his opponent stopped him from controlling his own movements.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru began in a hushed voice, "I don't know how long I can hold him here."

"Let him go," Sasuke smirked, "It should be simple, if he fell for your trap so easily."

He nodded.

"Just don't underestimate the enemy or you'll die."

Sasuke ignored that comment, confident that he could beat Haku. The boys began their fight, exchanging punches and kicks in a pure taijutsu battle. At first it seemed like an even match, but after time it was clear that Sasuke had the advantage. The Uchiha was finally able to land a good solid blow, knocking Haku down the bridge. He ran up to make the final blow, only to find that his opponent had made what seemed like a one-handed seal.

This confused him; what was the mist kid trying to pull off? Sasuke soon found out as what seemed like mirrors appeared out of the air. He was surrounded and had no way to move. Suddenly, the image of Haku appeared in every mirror, senbon poised in hand. The sharp needles came down from all angles, just itching to stab into the Uchiha. He tried to deflect the onslaught with kunai, but some senbon managed to penetrate his defense, weakening him somewhat.

"_Gokakyu no jutsu_!" Sasuke yelled, attacking before more needles came.

The attack however, dissipated and Haku, only miffed, began another round of needles.

'I need a new plan…' Sasuke thought, 'I can't hold these back forever…'

-

Shikamaru was on guard. He had seen Sasuke get cornered in ice mirrors by Haku wand wanted to help, but he couldn't leave the old man and Inari alone for a second. The smartest thing to do would be to leave the bridge with both civilians and hide them in the masses to keep them safe. He knew that Sasuke would be fine, and that he would be no help in a one-on-one battle between jonin level shinobi. If only Nariko were there… Almost as if on cue, the blonde rushed over to him, her sudden appearance surprising both Tazuna and Inari.

"What's going on?" she asked, blue eyes drifting between Shikamaru and his charges.

"As we know, Zabuza is alive along with his fake oinin friend who is battling Sasuke."

He pointed at the ice mirrors.

"Haku, as this boy is named, took Inari captive, but we got him to safety. The best plan of attack would be for you to go with Sasuke while I take these two back to the village where they'll be harder track," he finished, then in a hushed voice, "Or kill."

"Ok Shikamaru," Nariko began, "You go take these two back while Zabuza is distracted. I'll go help Sasuke so we can double back and help you out in case Gato sends anyone else after you. By then, sensei will have killed Zabuza, right?"

"Did you get that?" Shikamaru asked the other two, who nodded.

"Take this," Nariko said, handing Inari a kunai, "You never know when you'll need it."

"Why?" he asked, "I said you couldn't win; why are you helping me?"

"I thought I would die several times before, but with friends, I'm still here today. Remember," she said, "Determination is more powerful than the odds."

With that, their plan was set into motion.

-

Zabuza and Kakashi were locked in battle, fighting for their lives in the mist. The former mist-nin had figured out how to surpass the sharingan and had it as an advantage, plus his giant zanbato. That's when he sensed that the bridge builder and the rest of the Konoha brats were making a break for mainland. This would make his job harder if they left, so he went to follow them and kill Tazuna already.

When Kakashi felt the movement of chakras of his two students, he went after them, figuring the mist-nin wasn't far behind.

"You're fight is with me Momochi!" he called.

But to no avail, he couldn't find them in time to stop Zabuza's strike upon the blonde and Inari.

-

Nariko watched as he fell for her trap. Zabuza swung down on her henged bunshin, the surprise on his face priceless. A split second later, Shikamaru's shadow trapped the ninja.

"Go for it," Shikamaru stated, "Quick."

The blonde nodded and began to place seals, totally against his will, all over his arms quickly, as his immobility was going to end soon. She jumped away, a katana from the thugs she had killed in each hand as Zabuza's shadow was released.

The irritated shinobi swung at the shadow user and although barely blocked by the blonde, struggled to keep hold his blade as his hand caught on fire, singing his skin. Using a water jutsu, he easily put it out.

"You bitch!" he yelled, "What did you do?"

"If you move, it'll hurt really bad, I promise," she said.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was taking Tazuna and Inari away from the bridge as fast as possible with the help of Nariko's bunshin, carrying the civilians back to town before disappearing. Zabuza, taking the change used his lightning speed to swipe at Nariko who was able to stop the bulk of the force with the two katana which, without her chakra, would probably snap under the force. The zanbato came at a sideswipe, which she jumped, wishing that Kakashi would arrive soon.

"_Kaen no tsurugi_ (blade of flames)!" she called out.

Using the new technique the Kyuubi had taught her, the two katana in each had were engulfed in flames, but not melted. She stabbed one down, aiming at Zabuza's head. But she missed, not being fast enough for his skill.

"So young, yet so quick to kill another; if it weren't for your weak female body, you could reach your full potential," he sneered as he moved his blade so the only things she could do was try and stop the attack.

Sadly for her, he was more than twice her size and strength. But, Kakashi finally came out of the mist and pushed the nin back. Realizing that Sasuke needed her help, she ran to the ice mirrors, blades flaming, sure that Kakashi had it covered.

-

Sasuke was having a hard time battling Haku. The mist boy was showering him with senbon and a few had hit critical points. But the bright side was that he had gained his sharingan, but the bad thing was that he was probably going to die. There was no way her could catch Haku with the pressure points that were hit and his limited weaponry arsenal, even with his bloodline.

When he thought all hope was, lost, he could see a flicker of flame approach from the outside of his icy prison. He squinted his eyes to see that it was his blonde teammate, a flaming katana in each hand. Haku saw what he was looking at moved to the outside of the mirror, trying to stop the new opponent. Any senbon he threw, however, was deflected by her blades. Knowing that she could tear him apart, Haku retreated back inside his mirrors, hoping to stay out of her reach.

-

The blonde narrowed in on the mirrors and jumped, ready to tear them apart. Figuring that Sasuke had already tried to get out using jutsu, she pumped extra chakra into the blades and slashed down on two different mirrors. But as she made contact, the icy surfaces turned immediately into water. With out the solid object to put force on, the blonde fell right through, into the dome. As soon as she landed on her feet, the mirrors appeared again, trapping the two of Team 7.

"Well, not exactly what I was expecting…" Nariko sighed.

"You stupid teme, didn't you think up a plan before barging in here? There's a reason why we're still fighting," Sasuke hissed.

"Just take the help like the dobe you are," she retorted, but not before adding, "Porcupine."

He just grimaced at her as they went back to back.

"Let me handle this, you're obviously tired," she said.

"No way I'll let you fight him alone," Sasuke shot back, "Plus, you'll need the help of my newly unlocked bloodline."

He didn't mention that he would have died if she hadn't come, but the blonde didn't need to know that… A chuckle form the blonde snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I too have a bloodline ready to be unlocked," she began, "And I feel that that time will be soon."

Dispelling the flames on her katana, she put them in some newly acquired scabbards (which of course were also stolen). She then made a hand sign for a jutsu.

"_Kage bunshin no jutsu_!" she yelled, and five more Nariko's appeared, each with two swords as well.

Sasuke stared at the clones. They weren't illusions, he knew that. When did she learn all these new techniques? Had this been was she had practiced instead? Kakashi certainly had nothing to do with it… He would interrogate later; right now they had a battle to win.

The blondes sprang at the mirrors, a flaming katana in each hand. Haku threw a round of senbon which destroyed the first wave of clones, but more came, ready to kill. It was the end for the mist boy. He was running low on chakra and senbon while his new opponent was full of energy and had numbers. He closed his eyes under the mask in defeat, accepting his fate by the flaming blades. But it never came.

Haku looked out of his mirror to see that the clones were gone and the blonde was writhing in pain, although having no wounds on her body. He was confused, but he would use this as an opportunity to increase his chances of winning. He threw a wave of senbon, and when she kept breathing, he got ready to end it.

-

Nariko found herself in pain as her attack was halted. She landed ungracefully on the bridge, convulsing.

**Of all the times…**

'Where have you been?' Nariko mentally questioned throughout her immobility, 'What's going on?'

**You're gaining your second tail, which, as you know disrupts your chakra system. Although I could communicate with you, my connection to you is slightly disrupted, as you learned last time. Right now your body is adjusting to this extreme change, but you are a sitting duck.**

'Damn it…' she thought as many of the long needles stuck into her, knowing that more were to come.

-

Sasuke was confused as Nariko fell and a wave of senbon was focused on her. He was sure that the blonde had had it covered, but she had suddenly convulsed in pain, stopping in mid-attack. After the few seconds of stillness, he saw Haku go to throw more senbon. There was no way that he could move her out of the way in his state of condition. One of them was going to die.

Although it was probably only a split second, thousands of thoughts raced through the young Uchiha's mind. He wanted to live and avenge his clan but yet… If the blonde died, he didn't know if he could live with himself. It was strange that he felt this way. He had never really cared about the well-being of others since his whole clan had been murdered and it was confusing. Love? Was it possible? No, probably not. Not until he had killed his brother at least. Sasuke couldn't let emotions get in the way of his purpose in life, and even then he'd probably just keep all emotion hidden. Still… He pushed all thoughts aside and instead acted, running to save his teammate.

-

Under his mask, Haku's eyes widened with disbelief. Why…

-

Nariko's blue eyes shot open as she heard the sound of someone falling.

"S-Sasuke?" she stammered, "Why did you…"

"Teme," he admonished, clutching the bloody needles protruding from his torso, "You shouldn't leave yourself vulnerable during a fight."

"But, your brother," she whispered, reaching out, as if she could transfer her healing ability.

"Itachi may live, but so will you."

"Shut the Hell up!" she ordered, struggling to get up while pulling out the bloody metal rods, "You won't die, you hear me? Not because I wasn't able to protect myself!"

"It's ok," he whispered, "But you should know that I-"

He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes closed and body went limp. Nariko struggled over to him, picking up his body.

"What the Hell are you trying to pull?" she yelled, "Open your eyes you stupid dobe!"

But he laid motionless in her arms, needles still protruding from his chest.

"Is this the first time a comrade had died in battle?" Haku asked, "That is the life of a shinobi."

The mist boy retreated back into his mirrors.

"He was a bastard and my rival, but still my teammate and possibly friend," she growled, "But he didn't deserve to die, not yet. But you…"

The last word was menacing, killing intent dripping from the last word.

"Deserve to die!"

The blonde placed the Uchiha down gently. She yanked out the senbon all wherever she could reach and stood up, as if she had never been hit. A wave of demonic chakra rolled off her, healing all the puncture marks instantly, and ejecting was left of the needles. She let out a demonic howl as her transformation began.

-

Back to where Zabuza and Kakashi were fighting, they stopped in mid attack at the wave of evil chakra and killing intent along with the demonic howl.

"Kakashi, what is this?" Zabuza demanded.

But Kakashi's eye only widened in realization. Nariko.

-

Haku stared in horror and absolute fear at the girl before him. He had never seen a youkai or hanyou before thus thinking her a demon. Had this been the bloodline she had told her teammate about earlier? But he was afraid. Never before as his service as a tool to Zabuza had he been afraid; until now. She looked up at him, two golden tails swishing behind her, along with a matching pair of fox ears, not to mention her extreme killer intent directed at solely him. Her blue eyes remained the same, but the pupils were slit, completing the demonic look.

"Now, are you ready to die?" she questioned, as if it were a game.

Haku was speechless, he couldn't move. The blonde jumped at him, using her tails as an extra push to catch him at his topmost mirror. And using a flame encased hand, reached in and pulled him out, a feat Haku had thought impossible.

"You work for no-brows, right?" she hissed, "I think he should watch you die."

Haku tried to move, using his control over water to get free, but her two tails stopped him, wrapping them around his wrists. She reached down and grabbed them with her hands.

"I don't think I'll let you use your jutsu now, will I?"

She gathered flames in her hands and snapped the wrists back, breaking and scorching them. Haku yelled in pain, never experiencing that kind of pain before. Nariko unsheathed a katana and held it by his neck, trapping him with her newly acquired tails with which the Kyuubi had advised on their many uses. Just to be safe, she placed some of her fire seals on the mist boy, to make sure he and an incentive not to run.

-

He swung down, only to have his strike blocked by Kakashi, who seemed very wary since the wave of chakra, and the lingering feeling of something evil. Zabuza was getting annoyed with their slow progress in winning, but was sure that he and Haku would win. That was, until he heard his weapon's scream coming from not too far.

Zabuza turned to see two figures moving towards him, one being held against his will. He noticed that the one being held captive was Haku. Kakashi who had gone after Zabuza saw this too.

"Sensei," a voice, one that he recognized as Nariko's began, "Zabuza's not dead yet? Good. I want him to see his precious 'weapon' die in front of him."

"And you assume I care?" Zabuza laughed, "I have no emotional attachments."

"Oh, this isn't for you…" she hissed, coming into view.

They were alarmed to see that the blonde was holding Haku with what seemed like two tails…

"You…" Zabuza began, "You're the one who was giving off that chakra?"

She grinned, killing intent still in her features.

"Yes, it was, and I'm going to force you to watch him be killed slowly…"

"Nariko," Kakashi asked, "What are you doing? This isn't like the obnoxious student I've come to know."

"You don't know me," she growled, "And he deserves to be tortured to death."

Zabuza laughed at her, "You think that I'll let my tool die just like that? You must be insane!"

She made a hand sign and set off the seals she put all along his arms. The flames shot out, burning his skin and through some of his nerves. His arms dropped down, bringing his huge sword to the ground. The blonde then put a hand on Haku's face after removing the mask. She focused chakra to her hand and set it aflame. Nariko then burned Haku to death, setting him on fire which eventually cut through his windpipe along with much of his face. She dropped his body, letting in hit the ground without a care.

"You are ruthless," Zabuza complimented, "You should work for me. A village like Konoha won't accept you for your demonic self."

"No," she said flatly, "I think I'd like to kill you too, and with your own weapon…"

Kakashi was stunned. His student, who almost always wore a smile and good attitude, was now this… creature. Then it hit him. Sasuke wasn't there which must mean that…

"Nariko, Sasuke wouldn't want you to-"

"You don't know a damn thing Kakashi," she interrupted, "You don't know anything."

She took Zabuza's zanbato and lifted it with the help of her chakra. He went after her not wanting someone else to wield his weapon, but at least a dozen shadow clones appeared out of this mist and pinned him down. Without his arms, he was not able to perform a jutsu or even a kawarimi.

"Your mist doesn't hide just you…" she said before swinging the mighty blade and beheading the man.

**Kit, you just killed on of the seven swordsmen of the mist.**

'Now it's the six swordsmen…'

-

This period of rest was short lived as the mist cleared for Gato had arrived with two dozen guards.

"Zabuza, you didn't carry out your job," the old man admonished, "Not that I would pay yo-"

He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the demonic blonde holding the nuke-nin's head by the hair. His most powerful man he hired had been killed by a child, and a female at that.

"Sensei," Nariko said, "I say we finish the job and kill them."

He wanted to stop her and get things straight with his student, but Kakashi put his job first and nodded. He would get all the information he needed later.

The two Konoha shinobi leapt forward, going for the kill.

-

Gato looked frantically around at all his dead guards. Although she was younger and less skilled, the blonde scared him the most. She had taken Zabuza's zanbato and was slicing people in half as if it were nothing. Now he was the only one left.

"How much?" he asked, "How much do I have to pay you?"

There was no answer as the blonde charged in and slashed him in half. Nariko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them and looked around, then turned to her sensei.

"We need to talk," he said.

She nodded.

"I know, but there are probably more thugs going after Shikamaru who went back to town and then there's…"

"Nariko, tell me what happened."

"I was going to kill that kid, but I… couldn't. So Sasuke saved me but he had to take the hits for me. After that I… got really angry and freaked… I promised myself that this would never happen again…"

The last part was supposed to be to herself, but Kakashi had heard. Though, considering the situation, he decided not to push it further, for now.

-

The two had gone to retrieve Sasuke so they could at least bring him back. But with her newly heightened senses, Nariko heard a faint sound of a heartbeat when she put her ear close enough to his chest.

"Sensei, he's alive," she said.

'How do I keep him alive?' Nariko asked the Kyuubi.

**First, gently remove the needles and apply pressure to it so the blood clots, using a tiny bit of chakra if needed. Then, if his heartbeat starts to fade, send a small jolt of chakra through him.**

'Is this safe?'

**Medics do this all the time, and it's not hard to do. Even that annoying son of mine knows this.**

The blonde took a deep breath and did as the Kyuubi instructed. She held her breath, hoping it worked. Luckily, it did, and Sasuke began to breathe again, slowly but surely. The rest of their stay in Wave was going to be better…

-

Team 7 waved goodbye as they left Wave Country, crossing the newly completed bridge. Each of them had greatly influenced the country. Not only had they killed Gato and the ninja after Tazuna, but they had also given the people hope. When Shikamaru had taken Tazuna and Inari back to town, seven thugs had been sent after them where most were at least higher genin level. Shikamaru fought valiantly, but their leader was at the same level as on of the chunin in Konoha. The shadow user had taken down over half while protecting Tazuna and his family using his wit, but he was running low on chakra. But his struggle to protect them no matter what had moved the rest of the village to fight back. Although they had skill, not even a team of ninja could stand up to a whole village of hundreds of people. When Kakashi, Nariko, and Sasuke had come, the threat had been eliminated. The three of them had killed the Wave's oppressor and a dangerous criminal.

Inari waved back, the kunai Nariko had given him still in hand, the same weapon he had helped save his mother with, close to tears. All of Team 7 smiled back at the grateful villagers before walking off, back to Konoha. Nariko was the happiest of them all though. Not only had she gained a step closer to becoming a demon, but she had also gained material possessions as well. In the week left in bridge construction, the blonde had traveled to Kirigakure to turn in Zabuza's head and claim the money. And she also had claimed the weapons of their enemies, including the large zanbato. The load was heavy, but it would be worth it when she sold it all for cash. Of course, she didn't tell the villagers of the Wave about her haul…

-

**A/N:** The wave arc is FINISHED! Now time for the chunin exams… I got to say that I'm a bit excited about this next arc. Anyway, the winner of the 300th review is notBald, and I shall post that next chapter since this one is so freaking long… And for those of you who really wanted to win, there will probably be a 400th review seeing as I'm going to continue this for a while… Anyway, I've been getting reviews that suggest that I change the pairing and I'm not so sure about that because I don't like going against my word… So I'll ask you guys if you want me to change it or not. So vote! After the next update though, any review that suggests a pairing will have ht user put in my A/N portion of annoying me! Muahahahahaha!!! Yeah, that's the best I can do… But, on more pressing matters, I'm in a debate between me and my brother on whether Ninja are better than Jedi. I mean, I know the answer, but still…

Oh yeah, this is a part I edited out because it was too long, but I decided to put it back in, but not as the chapter or a chake since I don't feel like it… Oh, and next update, I will explain the Suna Incident, finally!

I just remembered something! If you wonder why Nariko was able to kill Zabuza, remember that she used the seals to burn his nerves so he couldn't use his arms and she had many clones. In the anime, Zabuza died from genin level thugs ganging up on him all at once, kind of like this so, yeah…

-

**A Rival?**

**-**

"Troublesome… Why did you bring so much stuff back with you?"

Team 7 was taking a lunch break and the blonde was breathing heavily from carrying so much metal with her. Although they were traveling much quicker than they had before when guarding the bridge builder, they would've gone faster if it weren't for the sole kunoichi on their team who was slowing them down.

"You're slowing us down Nariko, maybe you should carry less with you," Kakashi suggested.

He had already finished eating so as his students couldn't see his face, not including the blonde.

"No way Sensei," she argued, "I need to bring this all back."

'If it doesn't kill my back…' she mentally added.

"You can't possibly sell ALL of those blades, can you?" Shikamaru sighed.

"I probably will end up selling these really cheaply to the guys back home. I don't want them; the ones I used snapped after one fight when I set them on fire. Not as nice as ANBU grade ninjaken… but the extra length is nice I guess…"

"How are you familiar with ANBU weapons?" Kakashi questioned.

Nariko slurped up her third can of instant ramen before answering.

"I used one before. Why would I fight with swords without knowing how to use them?"

He narrowed his eye, "Where did you get them?"

Kakashi was getting suspicious. He was almost positive that she had something to do with the ANBU murders that happened within the village every year or so because they all were burned to death, sometimes in cruel ways… And after watching her kill Haku, Kakashi was now more positive than ever.

"Took them," she said, "And then I learned how to use them, but ninjaken are too short for my taste really. It's like a katana, yet, not… in a way. Anyway, we should get moving; we're almost home."

"I need to ask you something important," Kakashi began, "Did you, or did you not kill ANBU of our village?"

Sasuke actually began to show interest in what his teammates were talking about at Kakashi's last statement. The Uchiha didn't know why such a question was asked; how could she beat someone that strong? Shikamaru knew the answer, but he was wondering what the blonde would answer.

"Kakashi-sensei," she began in a serious tone, "I could never kill an ANBU alone. But alone, an ANBU could kill me. You would have your answers if you read the giant file Old Man Hokage keeps on me."

The blonde picked up all her cargo (which she had tied with one rope, making it a long chain of katana which she could carry it easier) and began walking. She went silently past the Uchiha who just looked at her with unbelieving eyes.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked, grabbing her by the shoulder, "Why would the ANBU attack you?"

"I befriend just about everyone that gets to know me," she said, eyes downcast, "Except the ones who want to kill me."

"Nariko," Kakashi called, voice stern, "The deaths of the ANBU are unsolved. And after the way you killed those two on the bridge, I have to know who exactly you have killed."

**Nosy human… He doesn't deserve answers.**

"Sensei," she replied, anger growing in her tone, "I don't want to talk about it."

She began to walk away again but was stopped by the jonin. He pinned her against a tree and held her there using kunai.

"I need an answer."

He never wanted to get rough with his students really, but this was important. His blonde student was worrying him. She was becoming demonic and accepting it, torturing people to death without remorse like a green genin should, and her past history. Nariko was a troublemaker, he knew that, but not to this extent. There were stories about nuke-nin that killed without remorse and became renegade assassins, like Zabuza. He didn't want to believe it, but maybe the rumors were true about the container being as evil as the demon.

"I don't know," she growled, "I don't know their names or how many."

It was worse than Kakashi had thought. Sasuke was listening in and was shocked that his happy-go-lucky teammate was such a killer. And what amazed him the most was the fact that she had killed Zabuza and not Kakashi. Was she truly that powerful? Or was it something else…

"Nariko, don't let yourself become like the demon inside you," Kakashi whispered, so only she could hear, "Isn't that what you said your goal in life was?"

"You don't understand," she began, "Neither of us are evil, just misunderstood."

"Sensei," Shikamaru called, "Stop being troublesome and let my friend down."

"Shikamaru, this is important," he replied.

"No it isn't," he reasoned, "If you're worried that she will betray all of Konoha, then you don't know who you're talking about. She isn't a danger to others unless threatened first. Not to mention that if Konoha was at risk, she would fight alongside those who do trust her until the bitter end. I know my friend better than you do Sensei."

The jonin nodded before releasing the blonde, regret showing in his eye.

"It's just that… years ago my comrades were killed while I was In the ANBU," he explained, "And…"

He was going to finish his sentence, but was tackled to the ground by some outside figure. The jonin was confused that he hadn't sensed this newcomer at all and even more so that he had been attacked. Out of all his students, only Sasuke was on guard.

"What the Hell?" Nariko yelled, "How did you find me?"

"I smelled you in the area and came to say hi, but I found this guy," the red-head said while pointing at Kakashi, "Have you held up against a tree so I attacked him…"

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru mumbled, "He's our sensei and was getting emotional because he thinks Nariko killed his ANBU comrades."

Takeshi looked between the two genin in question before confirming that it was true. Then he looked at the Uchiha who was just putting away his kunai.

"That's Uchiha-teme," she explained.

"I don't like you," Takeshi said flatly.

Sasuke sweatdropped. This random guy that his two teammates knew just attacked his sensei and said straight out that he didn't like him. That didn't happen every day…

"Who are you?" Kakashi questioned, getting up from the ground before his eye widened in realization, "Takeshi?"

"Hatake-teme?" he questioned before turning to the blonde who he treated like a sister, "HE'S your sensei? Of all people!"

"I'm guessing that you two know each other?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hell yeah!" Takeshi exclaimed, "I was down at a bar with some ladies a few months ago not only did he try to take them for himself as 'Mr. Ninja' but he also said I should get out because I was, 'underage'. Then we got into a bar fight and I got kicked out again… This happened a few times."

Nariko sighed. Her brother (as they felt that each other were siblings) was not only a flirt and an alcoholic that never actually got drunk unless he found some vodka, but he almost always got into some sort of fight. That's why Ichiraku Ramen stopped serving alcohol…

"So… whatcha been doing while I've been gone?" she asked.

"Bounty hunting and the sort. But I only made a few hundred ryou."

She grinned.

"I beat you for once; I got one of the seven swordsmen of the mist."

The youkai's eye began to twitch in annoyance. He partially hoped that she was lying, and he could keep his record of 'most money earned in a day', but the giant zanbato on her back proved otherwise.

To Shikamaru, this was normal, but to the sharingan wielders… They were freaked out… But now Kakashi knew who was responsible for all those deaths… But how could the annoying red-head have killed so many and not be a ninja? It seemed that he would have to read the file on Uzumaki Nariko after all…

-

**A/N 2:** Yeah, that counts as a chake I guess, but whatever… I just wanted to type that up and put in a rivalry between Kakashi and my OC. Sorry about Kakashi's OOCness there, but I guess that he may do that if angry and stuff as Nariko was kick-ass when angry. So, I won't update for a while since I'm going to have a summer job an' all… That's why this is almost 8,000 words; a new record!


	16. The Suna Incident

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 16: The Suna Incident**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, I know this was serious last time, and I am sorry.

-

Kakashi groaned and rubbed his temples. This had been put off long enough… He was taking on a mandatory project that would take many days to complete; he was going to read the file on Uzumaki Nariko. Actually, he was going to read them all, but his female student's was the largest of them all. It had taken him all of ten minutes to read Sasuke's perfect record, and a good portion of the hour to read Shikamaru's, but now… The file on the blonde consisted of many folders and papers that it was eight inches tall. There were accounts of what crimes and pranks she had committed along with the deaths that the investigation squad was sure she had made. There were complaints, riots against her, attacks from the villagers, attacks she aided, people who aided her onslaughts and all other sorts of stuff unknown to the Uchiha's file. Kakashi had seen that Shikamaru had been involved in many of the same debacles, but was mostly passed off as self-defense.

"Ok, page one…" he began, "October 11, the day after birth- oh Kami, please let me survive…."

-

There she was. The blonde was sitting around a table with a dozen burly men glaring deeply at her. She sighed, knowing where this was going. After a long and brutal day of training and D-rank missions, Takeshi had thought that she needed to relax and brought her down the Red Light District, the poorest section of the village.

"Look guys," she began, "I clearly have two pairs. Just admit that you all lost at poker to me, again."

The questionable men sighed, throwing their cards down. The fox siblings had come down to Katsuo's Pub, the main headquarters where the toughest, unlawful gang in all of the Red Light District and Konoha to play a few rounds of poker, along with maybe grab a few drinks. So, as being good friends of said gang, they joined the game. Takeshi had folded at the start, leaving the rest of the men to lose to the blonde.

"How did you get two pairs of fives though? It's only the first hand," Yuudai, the leader of the gang said.

"Pure luck," she replied.

"I keep losing to you…" Yuuma, the second in command added.

"Stop complaining," Katsuo, the pub's owner said, "You always lose Yuuma."

Nariko sighed, but smiled. They may be the 'king' of gangs, but they were still friends. If only their enemies could see them…

"So, where have you been kid?" Yuuki, the only sister of the 'Yuu Brothers' said.

The blonde left the game after raking in her winnings (which included both money and items), to talk to the amber eyed brunette brunette. They were five years apart, but still enjoyed each other's company. The Hyuugas tried to keep Hinata away form Nariko whenever possible, so the few women who were part of the gang were like sisters; almost.

"Well, I was in Wave, as you know, a bit back but since I brutally killed a lot of people my sensei is getting suspicious and all that."

"Hey, as much as I like you guys," the fiery-haired bartender Izumi began, "are any of you actually going to order some drinks?"

All hands went up in the air.

-

Kakashi sighed in defeat. He had been reading for hours and had only gotten into a few year's-worth of Nariko's record. At first, she was sent to the hospital and a nurse had tried to inject a lethal amount of sedative to kill the child. After that incident, the nurse was fired and the Sandaime had tried to find someone to take care of her. Because no one who could support a child would, she had to be sent to the orphanage by the age of two months, as the hospital would no longer shelter her. At every orphanage she went, the owner beat her, held out on food, or let mobs come after her. There was one who accepted the child, but was murdered for 'helping a demon'. Since she wasn't safe in anyone's care, Nariko went to live on her own. The Sandaime wanted to take care of the child himself, but couldn't as he was tied with the council who would rile against him.

There had been ninja guarding the blonde from attack, but many of them refused to take action. It had been on her 7th birthday that she finally fought back after a nin, Yurashi Makoto, blew apart her apartment. She had escaped with the help of Shikamaru to the Hokage Mountain where they had been found. Somehow, the blonde was able to crush Makoto's jaw which never fully healed. Afterwards, they had jumped off the monument and lived.

Kakashi had always wondered why the shadow user and blonde were close friends, and especially was interested after eavesdropping back in wave.

'So,' Kakashi thought, skimming the next page, 'A few days later she made her first kill… It seems to be at least a dozen. To kill so young…'

-

"Owww, my freaking head," Nariko mumbled, getting up from her sleeping bag.

**That's what you get for drinking so much when you're underage.**

'It was worth it,' she mentally replied.

Yes, what a night that had been… She looked around the cave before remembering that Takeshi wouldn't have returned that night… Damn flirt…

The blonde got dressed shakily before taking a can of instant ramen with her to the training grounds, dreading the training Kakashi would force on them as he had for the past weeks.

-

Kakashi wasn't in his best mood at the moment. He had been going through the file for hours into the night instead of reading Icha Icha Paradise. His blonde student had committed some very strange crimes in the first years of her life. Although he was only about mid-way through the 8th year documented, she had: killed civilians, killed two chunin, set a house on fire, rig melted garbage to fall on people's heads, theft, aid a group of people in killing the crime boss of Konoha's underworld, stealing a scroll from the Hokage Tower (although it never was proved), along with many complaints from the villagers.

The jonin was just going to cancel training for the day, which his students would probably yell at him for since he was already three hours late.

He walked onto the training grounds to find that only Sasuke was there.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

Snapping out of his thoughts the Uchiha replied, "I don't know."

"We're here," Shikamaru said, the arm of a sick looking Nariko slung over his shoulder.

"I'm ok!" she exclaimed, standing on her own before wobbling and falling to her knees.

"What happened to you?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing," she smiled while clutching her head, "Just a hangover."

"You're underage," Sasuke stated.

The blonde laughed at him, "At least it wasn't vodka… Most get knocked up in one sip."

Kakashi made a mental note to buy some of the liquor for when he actually went on a date…

"Of course, it's hard to get, being foreign and all," she added, "But I can get you some for a price…"

The jonin sighed, expecting to read about something like this later on. He would have asked the blonde herself if it weren't for the fact that she was a very good liar.

"You're lucky," Kakashi began, "I was going to cancel training anyway because I have to read your criminal file."

Nariko just smiled in triumph, proud of her mark on Konoha.

Although his two teammates were fine with this, Sasuke was angry. Back in the Wave, he had realized that he was not as strong as he had thought and he needed to train extra hard if he was ever to kill his brother. How was he supposed to do that if his sensei decided to just cancel training?

"Sasuke, we'll continue tomorrow," Kakashi said, sensing the Uchiha's annoyance.

Sasuke only glared before nodding in acceptance.

-

"Hey Sasuke, want to get some ramen?" Nariko offered, "It is eleven after all."

"No; I hate ramen."

"In that case," she replied, "I'll have to force you to come."

-

Kakashi came to one conclusion: his student had serious issues. She was a murderer of both civilians and shinobi in more villages than Konoha. She also had many instances of, mostly unproved, theft. It was also rumored that she was part of the Konoha underground, but anyone who got a lead died… At least he knew that she knew many people on the interrogation squad well.

He kept going over papers until he came to another folder containing the documentation of a disastrous instance. It made up at least a fourth of the entire file.

"Let's see what happened in Suna…"

-

"I can't believe you…" Sasuke mumbled.

The blonde had decided to bring the brooding boy with them since he never really spent time with the rest of his team. Nariko decided that it was high time that he did, no matter how poor of a sport about it he was. Currently, she was slurping up her tenth bowl of ramen at high speed, grossing the Uchiha out who had never seen the blonde's strange eating habits before.

"My head feels better now," Nariko said.

"I really wish Takeshi-san wouldn't take you with him to bars," Ayame sighed.

"It's fun," the blonde reasoned, "Right Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sighed before shrugging in agreement.

"Both of you are disgraceful," Sasuke stated, "You both drink underage."

**And kill civilians; he forgot that.**

Nariko couldn't help but to laugh; he was only at the tip of the iceberg.

"What's so funny?" the Uchiha glared.

"Nothing, nothing…"

Although he didn't believe her, he let the subject drop. He was an Uchiha after all and couldn't be bothered by some trivial joke by an orphan. Even if she was his teammate and he had sacrificed his life for her, except he had actually lived, but that was beside the point.

"Hey, you going to order anything?" Nariko questioned, starting her twelfth bowl of ramen.

"No. I hate ramen," Sasuke retorted.

"Hey Old Man, a house special for dark and gloomy please!"

He glared at her.

"I told you that-"

"She won't take no for an answer," Shikamaru interrupted, "And it is pretty good. Troublesome…"

Of all the people, he just had to be stuck with two dead lasts who didn't give a damn about his reputation, clan, ability, or 'cool-ness'. On top of that, they didn't listen to him. Though, surprisingly, Sasuke didn't entirely hate the two like he did the rest of the world and all existence.

-

The Suna Incident was amazing. In only a few hours, two children still in the academy had destroyed half of one of the hidden villages resulting in many casualties of both civilians and shinobi. Only when the Kazekage himself interfered with the other shinobi did the chaos stop. Both Uzumaki Nariko and Sabaku no Gaara were put into lockdown for many weeks for the crime. From an event such as this, most children would be scarred for life, but both were still shinobi and not totally insane and such. The Kazekage's youngest son and the blonde were good friends it seemed, even to that very day. From then on out, the occurrence of deaths by the blonde increased, although almost all of them were never proved.

-

Team 7 left the ramen stand, only to run into Team8, who also had the day off.

"Hey Hinata, we haven't seen you for a long time," Nariko said.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed before attempting to glomp him.

The blonde pushed him out of the way in time.

"Save yourself Sasuke!" she called.

Sakura frowned at the blonde before standing up out of the dirt.

"What was that for?" she scowled, a glint of killing intent in her eyes.

"You wanna fight?" Nariko challenged.

For added effect (And in hope that the girl she hated would piss her pants) she summoned out her new zanbato and hoisted it onto her shoulders.

"So… where do you want to take this?"

Sakura was trembling, trying not to run away. Then she thought of something and gained all composure.

"You wouldn't kill me."

"Yeah, well, I can chop off your legs… Mizuki found it very uncomfortable before I killed him."

As a finishing touch, she wore an innocent smile. Everyone who wasn't used to this shuddered.

"Troublesome… Put that thing away," Shikamaru said, "So, I heard you guys went on a C-rank mission too."

Hinata nodded.

"We went to deliver some packages to Suna. And on the way back, we traveled with some genin teams who are coming for the chunin exams."

"Are you entering?" Kiba asked, "Kurenei-sensei said she was going to enter us."

Sasuke scowled.

"Kakashi-sensei said that we weren't ready."

"That's insane Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, "You're rookie of the year, and that's not fair of him!"

"Kakashi's an ass," Nariko stated, "But I'm sure he'll change his mind."

The truth was, he didn't trust the blonde in taking the exam. The blonde had privately told the jonin off about the fact, and he just brushed it off. She didn't understand why he didn't fully trust her. Was it the Kyuubi? She hoped not. She had told Takeshi about it and he promised that he would get Kakashi to change his mind. She wasn't sure how, and she really didn't care to find out.

"Hey, if the chunin exams are starting," Nariko began, "Gaara'll be coming up."

The blonde grinned.

"Then today… I will find him!" she exclaimed before he put away the zanbato.

Nariko hadn't seen him for three years, since she went to Suna. It was because of The Suna Incident that she was still banned from entering the village for another four months.

-

_Nariko had decided to come see Gaara in Suna, especially since she had never been there before. It was summer, and not much was going on at the academy so she had decided that it would be the perfect time to go. Plus, Takeshi was away in Kumo territory, being hired to track and kill a band of nuke-nin that was a threat to another gang. This meant that there would be no objections to her going._

_The trip to Suna wasn't too long; only two days when she traveled using her chakra. Just to her luck, her chakra seemed a bit more potent that week._

_When she got there, the red-head was glad to see her as everyone else looked upon him with fear or disgust. It had been fun nonetheless. They pulled pranks on the villagers, just as Nariko had promised they would. And when that was done, they would play in the endless sands of the desert, doing whatever nine-year-olds do for fun. Both had tried to play with the other children, but Nariko just ended up beating them badly when they refused to let Gaara join._

_The trip was fine, until that night; the night of the full moon._

-

Nariko scanned the rooftops, looking for a bright patch of red hair that would belong to her friend. She decided to head over to the Hokage Tower to see if he was there.

"Hey, wait up troublesome woman," Shikamaru said, "We don't even know what he looks like."

The other 4 genin were also behind him and nodded in agreement. It was true that not even her friends knew what he looked like. The only picture they had taken together was for the record at the Suna criminal center; not exactly something one would take home.

"Yeah, well, ever since it's been illegal for me to come within a mile of Suna, we haven't seen each other at all. Damn Kazekage…"

"You got a restraining order from a city?" Kiba exclaimed, "Is that possible?"

"Well, they were quite convincing in telling me the fact that I would be detained and possibly killed and or tortured."

-

_It was the full moon out and the duo was on the rooftop, looking over the city. Nariko was complaining on how the wind whipped sand at her face and the taste of grit was getting on her nerves. That was when all peace was broken. A rock shinobi disguised as one from the leaf silently approached them from behind, his purpose to assassinate Gaara and make Wind Country aid them in their attack._

_A kunai with an explosive note was thrown. The weapon collided with a wall of sand, but the recoil from the explosion had sent the blonde back a foot._

"_Little girl, you should run now while you can," the man said, "I'm here to… talk with this boy."_

_Of course, getting her own threats back home, Nariko knew what the man really meant. If she had seen his headband, she would have known that he was a fake, as no one back in Konoha cared about her life._

"_No way! I won't let you kill my friend!"_

"_Have it your way," he said, no emotion in his voice._

_Gaara moved his sand which closed in on the man. But before he could crush him, the nin used a kawarimi and escaped. He appeared behind them and struck out to the unsuspecting blonde._

_Nariko was unused to the blowing sands of Suna, and at the current moment, it was hard for her to see. As was such, it was easy for her to fall prey to the sneak attack._

_The kunai went deeply into her side, but not hitting anything that would put her life in danger. Gaara had used his sand to push the man away, which led to the misaimed attack._

_The blonde fell, clutching the bleeding wound. Sadly for her, the shinobi had only sent in a bunshin, aware of Gaara's control of sand. He had found that the only weakness in his defense was the blonde. This being such, he aimed all his attacks at her, throwing kunai from the swirling sands. Using instinct, she was able to survive, but then he closed in. It hurt; a beating from a shinobi. She hadn't felt one since her 7__th__ birthday, plus this man was at least jonin level._

_Gaara would've struck out with his sand had it not been for the fact that doing so could possibly kill his only friend. The shinobi finally dropped her when she hit him with some fire. With the sand flying around, some of that turned into glass, tearing up his hand in the process._

_She hit the ground, bloody and beat up. The red-head ran over to her immediately, a tear running down his face._

"_I'm sorry I couldn't stop him," he whispered, "I would have killed you too."_

"_S'ok," she replied, "I'm just a bit beaten up, s'all."_

_In a way, she looked like Yashamaru. Same color hair at least. The blood… It was all too familiar. The sand shield went up as more attacks were used, including jutsu. The blonde pulled out the kunai sticking into her. They began to bleed. Blood… He saw it all the time. The crimson liquid that was shed every time someone attacked him, what was hated for. The village feared him because his sand killed and drank the blood of its victims. It was the voice inside his head, but no one would listen, they didn't believe that the monster forced him to kill. And now the only one who trusted him, who cared, was bleeding, just as the monster's victims just before they died._

-

Gaara was waiting impatiently to get out of the Hokage Tower. They were apparently being told the basic rules of Konoha and blah, blah, blah… He really didn't give a damn. It was more important for him to see his only friend. He hadn't seen his best friend in years. They had been forcibly split apart after the incident three years before. Luckily they still had the mail system.

-

_Gaara looked in horror as his best friend was looking like she would die. He didn't notice the continual attacks on him that kept failing, just watching her bleed._

"_I told you to leave little girl," the shinobi said._

_Gaara looked at the man with harsh, cold eyes. If this man dared take the one person who cared away from him, then he deserved to die. The demon inside him riled with joy at the thought of blood, encouraging Gaara to kill. To kill them all…_

_In a whirlwind of sand and anger, the shinobi was killed, his blood sent everywhere. But afterwards, he felt a strange feeling. The voice was stronger and harder to hold back._

"_Let me free," it hissed, "Let me free and she won't die…"_

_There wasn't much he could do. Gaara was still only a child and his will at the moment wasn't strong enough to hold back the demon along with the deal. He wouldn't be alone again. He felt the demon inch more and more into his consciousness, the sand encasing his small body, the feel of powerful chakra. And it didn't help at all that it was a full moon._

_Gaara had been consumed by the power of Shukaku, sand bending to his every will. It had been scary. He was still awake, yet it wasn't him. There wasn't much memory of what happened except bits and pieces. Blood… death… anger… fear…_

-

"I'm going to go see if he's checked in with Old Man. It might take a while, and I can always catch up with you later," Nariko said.

"Sure, troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered, "Are we still meeting tonight?"

"Hell yeah!"

The unknowing genin gave confused glances before the blonde took off.

-

_It had been scary to watch her friend to transform. The sand formed, blue veins throbbing, foreign eyes glowering. Nariko still remembered those eyes… The eyes of Shukaku. It didn't take long before a malevolent arm of sand shot out, crushing the shinobi in one movement._

_She got up, the Kyuubi already starting to heal the open wounds._

"_Gaara?"_

_The creature didn't even turn towards the girl before jumping off the building into the city. She wasn't sure how Shukaku took over, but the blonde was more than ready to get her friend back._

-

Gaara mentally sighed in relief as the Hokage released them from his office. All he had to do was sign a slip and he would be allowed to roam Konoha without being arrested.

-

Kakashi closed the file in defeat; it would never end! It just kept going… and going… and going… He really needed to go out or something. Almost as if on cue, a knock came at the door. The jonin answered it, and almost wished he didn't. It was his rival (although he would never admit it) Takeshi.

"Hatake!" he greeted, "You look like you could use some fresh air."

He grimaced underneath his mask.

"What do you want? I'm busy doing a mission."

"Oh, please, what kind of weak assed mission is staying home?"

"I'm reading the files on my team."

The red-head broke out into a bought of laughter.

"That is one Hell of a file. Sarutobi keeps telling me that I should keep a better watch on my sister and myself… So I just laugh. Anyway, a couple shinobi are going to gather at a bar tonight, including a few ANBU. And you know how love starved those girls are. Anyway, although I don't like you, I thought you might be interested?"

Kakashi thought about it. He could use some time out… What could happen?

-

"Hey Old Man!" Nariko greeted.

She was currently in the window sill. The blonde had found that she never really was able to get into the Hokage's office without hassle, so she would just check to see if he was busy and if not, she would drop in. It made it easier on both their parts.

"Hello Nariko; I presume you are looking for your friend from Suna."

"Yeah, plus the last time I saw you was when I came back from Wave Country and Kakashi was angry…"

The Sandaime chuckled lightly at the memory of the two fighting verbally, loud enough where he just dismissed them from his office without the mission report.

"Sabaku no Gaara and the other Suna teams left a few minutes ago. I'm sure they aren't too far from here."

"Thanks Old Man!" she exclaimed.

"By the way, has Kakashi mentioned the exams to your team?"

"In fact, he has," Nariko said, "Thanks again!"

She jumped from the window, leaving a contemplating Sandaime behind.

-

_She wasn't sure what exactly she was going to do. She tried to follow Gaara, but was lost in the swirling sands of the night. It was then that she heard an explosion. Rushing to the sound she saw a giant monster which looked like a tanuki. It was destroying much of the area around it, slashing out at any shinobi that tried to hold it back. It was hard to believe that, that thing was controlling her friend. How she was going to stop it was beyond comprehension._

-

Konohamaru and his friends were running around the village, looking for a certain blonde and her brother. They currently were looking for something to do, and decided to take advice from two of Konoha's most interesting, friendly criminals. That's when the boy spotted the few genin that afore mentioned people hung out with.

"Hey!" he yelled, friends running behind him, "Have you seen Nariko around?"

"You just missed her," Hinata said, "She's by the Hokage Tower."

Konohamaru only nodded in thanks before running off, a blush on his face. Hinata reminded him of Hanabi, except she was nice. Sakura and Kiba exchanged glances.

"He's Hokage-sama's grandson," she explained, "We know a lot of people."

Off in the distance, a call of 'Help! Let me go!' was heard. Knowing that that was never a good sign, the five went to investigate it.

-

"Put me down!" Konohamaru exclaimed, struggling to get free from the grasp of a sand-nin.

"Otoutu just put him down," a sandy-haired blonde said, "We don't want to start any trouble when we just got here."

"What's going on here?"

The two sand-nin turned to see five annoyed genin (well, Shikamaru wasn't really that annoyed).

"That's the Hokage's grandson," Sasuke said, "And if you don't put him down, we'll make you."

"So, you kids want to fight?" he challenged, taking a bandaged package off his back.

The five genin got ready to fight, if necessary. The girl, who seemed to be the older of the two, was a blonde, a giant fan on her back. The second, who was threatening the child, was wearing a black body suit with purple markings on his face.

"Yo, Doll-Boy, don't make me have to kill you."

All attention went towards the grinning blonde sitting on the branch of a nearby tree. Hanging from underneath the same branch was a strange red-head who had a giant gourd strapped on his back. At the two's appearance, Konohamaru was immediately dropped.

"Heh… don't worry, I dropped the kid," he nervously began, "I just overreacted, you know the feeling, right Blondie? Gaara?"

'So this is the Gaara Nariko's been talking about,' Sasuke thought, 'According to his reaction though…'

"Shut up or I'll make you a cripple Kankuro," Gaara said, narrowing his dark ringed eyes.

"Hey, ok Gaara; whatever you say," Kankuro replied.

"Temari," Gaara started, "I shouldn't have to interfere with Kankuro's idiocy."

"Right," she stiffly replied, "I'm probably sure that Sensei will need help getting into the hotel…"

"I'm going too!" Kankuro added.

The two left as quickly as possible without blatantly adding to poor excuse explaining that they wanted to avoid their brother.

-

"Kankuro, what were you thinking?" Temari scolded, "This isn't like back home where you're the son of the Kazekage!"

"I… forgot."

"Forgot?! Don't you remember what those two are capable of, and three years ago on top of that! Sure, Gaara wouldn't let us die, but… If she even suggested something, we'd be in deep trouble!"

-

_It had been night and Gaara was missing yet again. Temari had never thought that the friend Gaara had made in Konoha was permanent. She had figured that she'd never see the girl again, but the many letters and her spontaneous visit proved otherwise. Ever since she came, Gaara had been missing more and more frequently. She was happy for him, someone was actually brave enough to approach and befriend her deadly sibling. After Yashamaru had attempted to kill him, Gaara only trusted one person: Uzumaki Nariko. Temari never really knew the blonde, but when she arrived, looking for Gaara, the usually dark and angry boy lightened up, he even smiled at her presence. That's why, even though she feared what the girl could do, Temari also felt that there was a lower chance that Gaara would go berserk. But then again, together, they had destroyed a good portion of Suna._

_On the night of the full moon, the sands seemed to swirl more viciously, especially late that night. She heard explosions and screams coming from the center of the village. Their father burst through the door and told them both to hide in the basement. When she asked where Gaara was, the man only became angrier and slammed the door, muttering something about Shukaku. It was then that she realized that it was Gaara causing all the destruction._

_She was afraid, afraid that her father would kill her youngest brother. The red-head avoided her, avoided everyone as they did to him, but she still felt like she needed to protect her brother. Kankuro had called her crazy, but she decided to go anyway._

_What she saw was pure destruction. A giant sand tanuki was standing, destroying everything in his path. Shinobi were using jutsu, basically everything they had to stop him. Her father was not currently there, probably directing his forces and civilians. Then a child rushed past her, covered in blood, towards the sand monster._

"_Wait!" she called out, grabbing the girl by the arm._

_The blonde whirled around and shot out with a punch, which was surprisingly encased in fire._

"_Let me go," the younger girl ordered._

"_If you go over there, you'll be killed," Temari said._

"_If I don't go, they'll kill him! And if I have to kill you to get there, then so be it. I don't care if you're his sister; you think the same as all the rest."_

_Temari let go in fear and realization. The girl was right. No wonder she was the only one Gaara trusted. But as soon as she was released, the bloody child sped off._

-

_She had seen him atop the tanuki. Nariko knew that to free Gaara, she would have to make it to the top of the creature. She figured that the odds were stacked against her, but she was as determined as ever to save her friend. What she needed was a weapon, like the ninjaken taken from the dead ANBU. In this need, she looked through the dead bodies on the street until she found a ninja grade weapon she could use. With a simple request, she used the Kyuubi's chakra to get to the top. She jumped the buildings and was about to reach the tanuki when a shinobi restrained her._

"_Go back home kid, before the demon kills you."_

_He only made her angry. Nariko had focused chakra to her feet and pushed off the man, making it on the monster. Upon feeling a human on its back, the sand tried to eat her, taking her into its depths. She focused chakra to her feet, setting them on fire and turning the sand into breakable glass. She used the weapon to deflect a majority of sand bullets sent her way. It was hard, and she kept getting struck by sand and the glass shards going everywhere. Even with the extreme difficulty, she was able to get to her friend with pure willpower and powerful demonic chakra. The Kyuubi was yelling at her for being so stupid; trying to take on something with much more power than she had._

_Once on the head of the tanuki, Nariko made her way over to Gaara who was sticking out of the creature's head. She leaped to him, but was pulled down in the sand. It crept up her body, stopping any movements whatsoever._

"_Gaara!" she yelled in a final attempt before she died._

-

It was scary. From what she remembered, the blonde had calmed down the jinkchuuriki with a single word.

-

_The sand creature began to deform; the attacks ceased. In the middle of the wreckage, a giant pile of sand stood, two people on top. People pointed, yelled, and then attacked. A shield of sand went around them. Unexpectedly, the ball of sand turned to glass and exploded, sending out shards of glass at the shinobi going in for the kill. More glass came, recklessly flying, carelessly ending others' lives._

-

"They don't care if others die," Temari said, "At least they won't be together in the chunin exam…"

-

_Shinobi of the sand attacked them. Gaara was on the brink of unconsciousness and the blonde had no idea of what to do. She looked at the Kazekage, who watched the scene with indifference. Nariko knew that he wanted his son dead, but he couldn't… Angry with the people of Suna, she lashed out, taking handfuls of sand and making glass shards. Using them like she would kunai or shuriken, Nariko used the nearly invisible weapons to slow down, a kill their enemies._

_The major adrenaline rush she had experienced minutes ago was wearing off, leaving her body ragged and weak. She did what she could, throwing glass, but it didn't do much except slow them down._

"_Gaara," she whispered, "I need your help."_

_Sand began to swirl around them. It got taller and taller, picking up velocity. Gaara would have run out of chakra had it not been for Nariko unknowingly transferring the energy to him. As the sand cyclone picked up speed, the shinobi nearby were flung away to their demise._

_Upon request of the Kyuubi, Nariko used the red chakra to set fire to the sand. The heat of fire against the sand sent deadly blades of glass out into the crowd. When all seemed to settle down, the two children found themselves in a spire of glass, lifeless, bleeding bodies all around. Soon after, the Kazekage himself came to have them detained. They had no choice but to give in._

-

"Ok, so this is Hinata, Shikamaru, Kiba, Sasuke-teme, and Sakura," Nariko began, introducing the others, "And if you don't know my name by now, then I'll have to punch you."

"Nice to finally meet you Gaara-san," Hinata smiled.

"Oh! I just remembered; my mom wants me to run some errands for her," Sakura said, "Sorry!"

She really did have to do a few tasks for her mother, but they would only take a half hour. The truth was, she was getting bad vibes from the newcomer.

"Nariko," Konohamaru began, "We were wondering if you wanted to pull off a prank today."

Everyone had forgotten that the eight-year-olds were there in the first place…

"I'm not participating in your childish antics," Sasuke said oh-so maturely.

Everyone else just ignored the uptight Uchiha and began to plan their prank.

-

**A/N:** I finally got his one written down! I hate flashbacks and italics, but it had to be done as I am pitiful when it comes to using first person. ANYWAY, I don't really have any comments to say on this, except for the pairing… I have decided and I won't tell any of you what it is. You'll just have to wait… Muahahahahaha!!!!!!! Oh yeah, I just realized ho many of you DON"T review. Like, over 100 of you. Remember, I like comments; it motivates me to update more. By the way, the 400th review is coming up so, I'll do the same deal as I did for the 300th review. Oh yeah, coming up is the chake inspired by the 300th reviewer notBald.

-

-

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 16.5: I Hate You…**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** Just to be relevant, I'll just say this: I hate writing these…

-

Sasuke was just walking down the street, not doing much. He had left his team behind for the day as he did not wish to take part in their childish actions. That had been an hour ago and he was still doing nothing. What was he to do with a day off? He knew just what; training!

-

It was hot, and the Uchiha was sweaty from training. He walked into town, up to a public fountain. Normally, he wouldn't even touch the thing, but it was hot. He scooped up some of the water before stopping. It smelled funny… It smelled like saké, except stronger… He took a small taste. Yup… definitely alcohol.

Sasuke watched as children took a long drink from the fountain. And across from him, two people were going berserk. Oh God… what had they done?

-

The three prank pullers were close to hysterics (except for Shikamaru, nothing out of the ordinary) watching the villagers. They had drunk the spiked water and were absolutely stoned.

"Ok, the Hokage Tower is all set. Konohamaru should be done with the academy by now," Nariko said as she and Gaara appeared besides the others.

"This is hilarious," Kiba panted through laughs, "Just look at that guy!"

The group looked to see a genin team, or at least half of the team, frantically jump around as two almost identical males in green jumpsuits drunkenly ran around, causing destruction. Hinata snorted.

"Is that… Neji's team?"

The usually stoic Hyuuga, along with his kunoichi teammate were trying to keep their sensei and teammate from destroying the surrounding area. Sadly for them, there was nothing they could do.

-

Kakashi had been coaxed out of his house by Takeshi, who were both outside. They were heading into the center of town when a strange man in a green suit came running by.

"My Eternal Rival, I challenge you to another youthful contest!" he exclaimed.

Kakashi let out a groan.

"Gai, have you been drinking again?"

"Of course not!"

"Right…"

Takeshi sniffed the air and his eyes shifted to the fountain. He walked up to it and had a taste. He could tell immediately that it was spiked with strong liquor.

"Hey, Hatake, taste this water!" he yelled.

Kakashi, using the excuse to avoid his 'rival', went over to the fountain and took a taste. His brain definitely zinged.

"It's spiked…"

Something caught Takeshi's eye. Using his peripheral vision, he saw five teens looking out at the scene. He turned towards them, knowing who the trouble maker was.

-

"Damn it, run!" Nariko exclaimed upon seeing Takeshi turn towards them.

"Who's that, and what happens if he catches us?" Kiba asked.

"He's my brother, and, do you really want to know?" Nariko responded.

'And to think,' Gaara thought, 'I wanted to stick beads of sand up passerby's noses…'

The red-head saw the Uchiha he had met earlier as they ran the rooftops. His friend didn't like him, right?

-

Sasuke was avoiding the chaos of the alcohol, unaware of how far it had spread. All of a sudden, something went up his nose. It was rough and grainy.

"What the Hell?" he quietly said.

The Uchiha sneezed and two hardened, snot covered beads of sand shot out and hit him in the groin.

"Damn it…"

-

**A/N 2:** So, it was short, but at least it had some humor to it… At least I think so anyway… By the way, **REVIEW!**


	17. Spicing up the Chunin Exams

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 17: Spicing up the Chunin Exam**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** //yawn// Leave me alone…

-

"How's your hand sensei?" she grinned.

It was eight in the morning and Team7 was meeting on time for once. It had been the previous night that Kakashi had made the mistake of taking an offer from Takeshi. Sure, the night had been going well, but then he got drunk. That's when it happened. The red-head had been sitting with one Mitarashi Anko, and forgetting the truce Kakashi started another of their insulting matches. But instead of going along with it, Takeshi lashed out with lightning speed (although, not being sober could change his perspective) her grappled his hand and broke the bones. They then made a deal; Kakashi's hand would be fixed and Team 7 would be entered in the Chunin Exams. Not knowing that this was possible, Kakashi agreed (though he wasn't totally sure if the bones were broken in the first place; it was mostly just a haze). And here they were.

"Fine…" Kakashi muttered, "Anyway, I'm here to tell you that I've reconsidered my decision about the Chunin Exams. I'm going to enter you three."

Sasuke smirked, figuring that his sensei wanted him especially to pass.

"I knew you'd change your mind," Nariko said, taking her entry form, "But next time, don't use us as a bargaining chip. Think of what would happen if Old Man found out…"

Kakashi just sighed before poofing off.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked.

"We can't tell you," Nariko responded.

This annoyed the Uchiha; why did everyone on his team seem to know things besides him?

"Sasuke," Nariko began, "I'll tell you if you can meet this one condition: have you ever been to the Red Light District on purpose? Or are you a goody-two-shoed Uchiha?"

He scowled, not wanting to answer. The blonde grinned.

"In that case, I'll see you later! Oh, and you might want to watch out for attacking sand from now on," she snickered.

He KNEW it was no coincidence…

-

It had been about a week and the Chunin Exams were finally starting. Team 7 met outside the designated building as the other teams from other lands filed in.

"Nariko, did you get tested too?" Shikamaru asked.

The other day, he had been attacked, tested per say, by Iruka to see if they were ready for the Chunin Exams. The rest of the Rookie Nine were the same case, besides the blonde.

"Why would I be tested before the exams?" she asked.

"Iruka didn't see if you were ready for the exams?" Sasuke scowled.

As an Uchiha and the Rookie of the Year, it was only fit for HIM to get special treatment. Not the supposed dead last.

"Well, I did kill a chunin in front of him so… maybe he didn't need to test me?"

**More like he was afraid to get killed himself.**

She just shrugged it off, and they entered the building.

-

For some reason, although it was the second floor, a few dozen genin were crowded around a room, trying to get in. It seemed that two males about their age were blocking the door.

"Let us in!" one of the genin yelled.

"We can't let you do that," one of them said, "The Chunin Exams are dangerous, and many people end up messed up for life-"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"This is the second floor," he whispered, "What a lousy genjutsu."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. Nariko had no idea that there was a genjutsu on the door number; she was more focused on the two blocking the door. They seemed familiar in a way, like she knew them. Using her heightened hanyou sense of smell she realized who they were.

"Kotetsu, Izumo! What the Hell are you doing here?!" she exclaimed, not really thinking about the other people in the hall.

The duo sweatdropped.

"Um, are you talking to us?" the one presumed as Izumo asked, "Do we know-"

"It's me, Uzumaki!"

Sasuke sighed; was there anyone in the village she DIDN'T know? The two door blockers' eyes widened.

"They let you in the exam?" the other asked, "Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

She just grinned in response. The two chunin in disguise were getting nervous; most of Konoha's nin knew the blonde (and were on good terms with her if they didn't hate the Kyuubi, but Takeshi made sure that that wasn't a problem…) for her recklessness and if she was in the exams… It just spelled doom in the third stage, especially since 'What's-His-Name' for Suna was participating too. This exam was about to get interesting…

Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde saw someone, someone she hated more than Sasuke; it was Hyuuga Neji. She saw his two teammates behind him. She recognized the boy in green as the one who had gone crazy when she (and friends) had spiked the public water supply. She squinted her eyes to come to come to the conclusion that she knew the guy wearing the green tights.

"Lee? Are you really the strongest genin around?"

The boy wearing said atrocity turned around, black bowl-cut hair still shining in the florescent lighting.

"Naruto my youthful friend you're here too?"

He looked around, only to find that the person he was looking for wasn't there. That was, until he was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled through the mass of genin.

"Right here," she said.

He turned around and pink hearts formed in his eyes.

"My youthful blossom, I-"

He was cut short by a punch to the face.

"It's me, Nariko, formerly disguised as 'Naruto'!" she exclaimed, "And what the Hell happened to you? Does Hyuuga's overly long, feminine hair turn you on or something? I mean, spand- I can't even say the word…"

**Hyuuga is right there you know.**

'Screw him…' she thought, 'To a post… heh…'

-

After the overly awkward introduction of Team 13, including the stoic performances of both Neji and Sasuke, the two teams made their way to room 301 at last.

"Sorry about my reaction," Lee began, rubbing his cheek slightly.

"No problem," the blonde replied, "But hey, see that girl over there? If you do your speech to her, I bet you can get her to blush."

Although they were friends, it was funny to see Hinata's reaction whenever subjects like that came up. And true to what the blonde said, the dark-haired girl's skin did change a few shades, to her chagrin, in a room with over a hundred people in it.

-

The rookie nine met up together, as they were, well, rookies to the ninja world. As expected, both Sakura and Ino began to fight over Sasuke's heart.

"Well, isn't this nice? All of us together like this," Kiba said, sarcasm hinting in his voice.

"This is going to be so troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed.

"You're rookies, huh?" a silver-haired teen asked, "I've taken this exam six times already and it's brutal."

"So what's your point?" Nariko asked.

He shrugged.

"I figured that I'd just help you guys out a little," he said while taking out a stack of orange cards, "See these? These cards have information on just about everyone taking this exam. I'd be glad to help you out a bit. By the way, I'm Kabuto."

"I want information on Sabaku no Gaara, Rock Lee, and Uzumaki Nariko," Sasuke said.

The blonde scowled.

"I could've told you anything you wanted… teme."

Kabuto just smirked and took out three cards from the deck. When he manipulated some chakra, the blank surfaces became swarmed with information.

"Rock Lee is one of the strongest genin in Konoha and specializes in taijutsu. His teammates are Hyuuga Neji and Tenten, under Maito Gai. Other than that, there's nothing extraordinary here.

"Sabaku no Gaara is also a skilled genin, in his home of Suna. He and his team have completed several high ranked missions, one even being A-Rank. He is also charged with over a hundred accounts of murder, Uzumaki Nariko being an accomplice."

The rookie nine were stunned (and exception being Nariko, Shikamaru, and Hinata) that a genin could kill so many, and their blonde friend being one of them.

"Uzumaki Nariko," Kabuto continued, "Dead last of her year has no major accomplishments as a ninja, but is charged with almost a hundred accounts of murder, although most not fully proved. She has been arrested in several countries and has several accomplices. And look at this; she's also killed one of the seven swordsmen of the mist."

Nariko frowned, "That's it? I thought that I've killed more people… Let me see."

She snatched the card from his hand and looked at the information. What she saw made her eyes widened.

**He shouldn't know about me…**

Blue eyes shifted towards the nin, distrust shining through. She threw back his card.

"We'll be watching you, Kabuto…"

"What's that about?" Hinata whispered, "What did it say?"

"He knows…"

Her pale eyes widened and she passed the information on to Shikamaru.

-

"Ok brats!" a scary man wearing a trench coat began, "My name is Morino Ibiki and I'll be your proctor for the first part of the exam!"

As he was explaining the rules and whatnot, a stream of thoughts was running through Nariko's head.

'What the Hell is he doing here?' she thought.

**Isn't he one of those people who had interrogated you?**

'Yeah, and he's notorious at poker too,' the blonde thought back, 'But why would they choose HIM to run this part of the exam? I mean, he enjoys twisting people's minds.'

**Maybe that's the point.**

'That, or the Old Man wants us to go insane…'

-

Nariko stared at the test, a blank look on her face. She wasn't near anyone who she could cheat off of. The test was too hard for her to complete by herself, but if she was caught cheating she would fail. If she got caught… That's when an idea pinged in her head.

'Kaa-san, what's the distance a shuriken can be thrown west from a height of 12 feet at a 40 degree angle through a fireball when the wind is blowing south at 23mph?'

-

With the Kyuubi's help, she had successfully answered one question. The rest were impossible questions that only someone who spent their life doing paperwork would know. In the rest of the spots, she made random comments that didn't even make sense, but it filled the paper. Only the tenth question was left unanswered. Now that that was done, she was going to go sabotage others…

-

An Iwa genin sighed as he struggled with the test. He had noticed that the blonde girl next to him had finished and was tempted to cheat, but knew he couldn't. Doing so would get him kicked out. That's when something tickled his back. No matter what he did, it wouldn't stop.

It went on to a point where he just blatantly turned around and yelled, "Stop tickling me!"

He and his team were kicked out.

-

The blonde grinned, glad that just by the use of her tail (which the Kyuubi had put under a genjutsu to conceal) had gotten three people out; now to get rid of the guy on her left.

-

The unsuspecting Ame nin turned when the girl to her right gave out a very loud and bored sounding yawn. The girl also began to loudly drum her fingers on the desk in an erratic pattern. It was driving her, and many of the surrounding people, insane. The blonde let out yet another yawn. The kunoichi was about to do something when the proctor himself interrupted.

"Stop that incessant noise," he barked.

"Come on Ibiki," she began, "You know how I can easily get bored when I have nothing to do at all."

"Uzumaki…" he muttered.

"You DO recognize me, don't you?" she smiled, "Well, if I can't drum my fingers, what should I do now that my test is done?"

Several people in the room glowered, as it hadn't even bee a half hour yet and they were nowhere near done taking the test.

"Just be quiet," he ordered, "Or you and your team fail."

The blonde nodded, still smiling. No more than five minutes later, she made some fireballs and began to juggle them.

"Uzumaki!"

In her shock, she lost her focus and dropped the flames on the desks in front of her. She scowled at the man up front.

"You said to be quiet, and I was. Then, you go and make me lose my focus!"

The proctor was about to fail Team 7 when she spoke up yet again.

"And don't even think about dismissing me and my team or else your job as an investigator will become impossible…"

It was true; she and others could commit crimes that could never be solved. Or she could commit several minor things, and frame others and all things that made mountains of paperwork.

Ibiki, knowing this, succumbed to the blackmail that time, but keeping a close watch on the blonde.

-

The fireball trick had worked wonders, destroying a few papers, thus making it impossible for them to finish the test. Plus, it ensured that her team wouldn't fail, for now…

-

Sasuke watched in disbelief as his teammate purposely taunted the man who could decide if they failed or not. It was humiliating in a way, and he could only hope that she wouldn't get in the way of him advancing through the ranks.

-

"Time's up!" Ibiki yelled, "Now you must answer the tenth question! If you get it right, you automatically pass. If not, then you and your team must quit as ninja forever. If you wish to leave, say so now."

More than half of the people in the room left. He noticed how the annoying blonde still was in the room.

"You are a twisted guy!" Nariko yelled, "Making people risk their pride and dreams on a stupid question! What's it going to be? Your birthday?"

"Uzumaki, I'm tired of you…"

"Good thing I have blackmail material then, huh?"

Ibiki struggled to keep his eye from twitching.

"I mean, whether or not I'm a ninja, I still can make trouble… And, don't make me bring up-"

"I'm tired of this! You fail!"

Although she blonde was still smiling, she unleashed all of the killer intent she could muster.

"Fine, I bet things'll be more interesting when I'm a civilian again… More time to be spent wisely," she finished with a laugh.

Eyes shifted to the creepy blonde kunoichi. She and her team got up, killer intent still leaking out. More time… she needed to buy more time…

"Say goodbye to Neko-chan then…" she muttered, walking by the desk.

"You can't get me with your threats Uzumaki," he retorted.

Suddenly, someone burst through the window, a giant banner attaching to the wall behind them. A purple-haired woman in a trench coat jumped up.

"I'm Mitarashi Anko and I'm you're next proctor!"

"Anko, you're early… I'm still dismissing teams."

"What do you mean? Hey! You can't do that!"

"That's what I said," Nariko reasoned, "But he won't give in, not even for Neko-chan! He's really angry at me… I mean, all I did was yawn, tap on the desk, juggle, and sneeze on the guy in front of me, oh, and blackmail."

"After all the work I went through to help your brother. Plus I made a bet with Ibiki and I win."

Everyone in the room was clueless about what was going on with the strange interaction between shinobi.

"Hey, if I'm going to fail, can I at least give the final question?" Nariko asked.

He sighed as an affirmative.

"Ok!" she exclaimed, "Do you really want to take the chance and become like one of us if you make it past here? Those who want to take that chance, stand."

Surprisingly, several people stood.

"Ok, standing people, you pass, now follow me!" Anko yelled.

-

"Thanks a lot; now we can't pass this year," Sasuke scowled, "This is humiliating."

"No problem," Nariko stated, "We just go anyway; Anko will let us. Plus, Takeshi will take care of it, just like he 'convinced' Kakashi to let us enter."

"You can't just do that."

"Just watch me," Nariko said, "Unless, you're too afraid of tarnishing your perfect record…"

Sasuke kept his sour expression.

"Lead the way."

-

**A/N:** I bet you didn't see them failing, didja? Sorry this is short word-wise; it's 6 pages on word! Anyway, hopefully that was an adequate chapter; I was in a rush to finish it in the 4 hours I'm allowed on the computer a day, and I wanted to finish it today so… Oh yeah, 400th review coming up! So think up an idea if you're the third to review form this point on. Hopefully I can update soon, but I'm trying to finish 5 Potions and I want to start another fic at the same time. Well, hope you enjoyed the first part of the exam, next time it's the Forest of Death!

-


	18. Two Avengers

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 18: Two Avengers**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** Darn it; I'm out of sarcastic comments to put here…

-

"Ok, here's the deal," Anko began, "I'll give you a scroll, and you enter Gate 24 tomorrow morning. Get your scroll and get to the tower no sooner than the last day. Any earlier and it'll give Ibiki time to get you out of there. Got it?"

"You bet!" Nariko exclaimed, "Thanks again Anko."

"Tomorrow?" Sasuke asked, "That's only four days, putting us at a disadvantage."

Shikamaru muttered a 'troublesome' before beginning to explain to Sasuke why he was wrong.

"We have a rough layout of the Forest of Death. With it, we can easily get our scroll and take shelter in one of the hidden underground bunkers for a few days. This map will also help us with ambushes to obtain our other scroll."

"How did you get a map?"

"We borrowed it from the Hokage Tower."

"What haven't you done?" Sasuke asked incredulously, "Get into a bar fight with the Diyamo?"

The blonde sheepishly grinned.

"Does it count if it was his son and he was from the Land of Lightning?"

If he had been in a classroom, or anywhere near a table of some sort, this would be one of those 'head to desk' moments.

-

Team 7 entered the Forest of Death at the crack of noon. Well, Sasuke was there soon after dawn but… Anyway, they entered the evil forest and travel went smoothly… for the first half hour that is. Sasuke and Shikamaru were currently waiting for their blonde teammate return from her bathroom break. She emerged from the bushes, a grin on her face.

"Why are you so happy?" Shikamaru said.

"You see, while I was out there, this Ame team tried to jump me. But then for some reason they got really red…" she began, "So, since they tried to kill me, I cut to the chase and took their scroll, weapons, their headbands for disguises, their wallets, air filters, and these weird meat bars which I think are supposed to resemble jerky…"

They sweatdropped. As alert of a ninja as she was, she just didn't get some things…

"Where's the scroll?" Sasuke asked.

The blonde rummaged through her pocket before taking out a heaven scroll.

"Nariko," Shikamaru groaned, "We already have that scroll."

The blonde was still rummaging in her pockets and pulled out all the items she had stolen from the nin. The picked up one of the wallets and started looking through it.

"It seems that this guy is a big fan of _neko-chan_ (cat) plush toys. I thought only losers like Ibiki were into that… Hm, what's this?" she said, taking out what was a wad of bills, "Ka-ching! I don't know why these guys would have almost a thousand ryou on them but, hey, I'm not complaining."

Sasuke's eye began to twitch.

"Shouldn't we be formulating a plan of some sort so we can pass this test?" he said, trying to remain unfazed by their fooling.

"You're right," Nariko stated, determination in her eye, "We need to team up with our friends and ambush other teams together and secure the scrolls we need."

Shikamaru shifted his gaze towards her.

"That's a good idea. I wouldn't expect you to come up with something like that."

She scowled. Damn geniuses… Thinking that they're the only one's capable of a good plan.

"We need a password though," Sasuke stated, "In case anyone tried to impersonate one of us."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement.

"How about something like, say, Kichirou?" Shikamaru asked, anticipating the blonde's reaction.

"I thought we agreed to never bring that name up again…" Nariko growled.

"Then it's settled," Shikamaru said, "That's our password."

"If I didn't need you to pass this exam, or you were my best friend, I would kill you right now…" Nariko hissed.

"I could have chosen Tomiko, or even worse, Min-"

A fist collided with Shikamaru's face, sending him into a tree. The blonde was glaring fiercely, blue eyes promising pain. The Nara had taken it too far… No one brought up that bastard without consequence. Sasuke just looked on with a mix of mortification and dread. In the short time his family had been alive around him, they had never taught him anything about the other gender. Had his mother been this violent? Were all females? Maybe he'd ask Kakashi about it… err, maybe he shouldn't…

Before the Uchiha could delve into his thoughts anymore, a sudden gust of wind blew through the trees, forcibly separating the three. Sasuke grabbed a branch and had landed back on the ground as soon as the gust of wind had passed. The rest of his team, however, was nowhere to be found. A sudden wave of immense killer intent swept through the area, immobilizing the Uchiha.

"I wouldn't want you to run now would I, Sasuke-kun?"

-

Nariko flew through the sky and landed ungracefully on a thick tree branch. The blonde looked around to find that she was completely alone in the thick foliage. Behind her, she heard a deep hissing sound. She removed her zanbato from its scroll and sliced down, cutting through her would be attacker.

The giant snake writhed around before disappearing in a large puff of smoke.

**A summon… I should have known that that gust of wind was of no natural occurrence.**

'Where have you been Kaa-san?' Nariko asked.

**Where I've been trapped for almost thirteen years; now it would be in your best intention to find your teammates before whomever it is whose after you kills one of you three.**

Blonde nodded right before having to jump out of the way of another snake. In total, there were three. It seemed that the giant blade would get a workout after all…

-

Shikamaru sighed before analyzing his current situation.

"How troublesome…"

He was lost in a place called the Forest of Death, was separated from his team, and could sense a powerful force nearby. It was near where they were before, near Sasuke. He had seen how the Uchiha had stayed in the same place, and figured that the powerful entity he felt was after Sasuke. Shikamaru began traveling towards his teammate, trying to maintain the element of surprise.

The closer he got, the thicker the killer intent was. He was used to this kind of thing though as he was best friends with a criminal jinchuuriki and her equally as crooked overprotective youkai brother. But as he got closer, it got stronger and stronger, as was expected, but it was past the level any genin could muster. It got to the point where Shikamaru was just using his willpower to keep moving.

He landed on a tree branch and saw a kusa kunoichi walk towards Sasuke. Before she could attack though, Shikamaru threw a shuriken which hit Sasuke in the thigh, though not penetrating deep into his flesh. As expected, the corresponding adrenaline released the Uchiha who leaped into the trees, escaping the new enemy.

As soon as they were a quarter of a mile away, Shikamaru regrouped with Sasuke.

"I believe this is yours," Sasuke said, a shuriken in hand.

He nodded before taking it, accepting it as a form of appreciation.

"We need to stick with our original plan," Shikamaru stated, "It would be best if we to meet up with Gaara's team since they are some of our most powerful allies."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"No password? How am I to know that you're not an imposter?"

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed, "It's the real you alright. I can tell by the way you were almost killed and the fact that you wouldn't give formal thanks for saving your troublesome life…"

Sasuke nodded, positive that it was his teammate. There was no one else he could think of that could overuse a single word.

Before they could figure out what they were going to do, Sasuke pushed his teammate out of the way of a powerful kick. On the other end of that blow was the same genin from before.

"My, my, I wouldn't let my prey just slip away like that."

She unleashed another powerful wave of killer intent, immobilizing the Uchiha again.

'Damn it, am I really this weak?' Sasuke thought.

The genin lunged forward, only to stop in her tracks. The wave of intent diminished and Sasuke jumped back, out of her reach.

"_Kagemane no jutsu_, success."

The woman though, just grinned.

"To be able to move through my killing intent is impressive," she said, "But your meager jutsu will not hold me back."

Without warning, she whipped around and threw several shuriken at them. The stars never made it to their target. Nariko was in front of them, taking the blows. But in the second she appeared, the blonde dissipated into smoke.

"_Kage bunshin_…" the kusa genin said, eyes narrowing, "You escaped my snakes, hm little girl?"

The blonde landed on a nearby tree branch.

"I destroyed every single one of your summons," she smirked.

The girl definitely smelled like serpents, and hate. That's how she found them; she tracked the smell of her teammates, but formulated a plan when she also discovered the snake user.

**I recognize this scent; it's the one on the day… The one that killed my kit.**

Nariko froze, shocked.

"Afraid?" the genin taunted.

"You…" Nariko began, "It was you! You're the one who killed her!"

The blonde was enraged. This was the creature that had killed the Kyuubi's daughter. Because of it, she had been hated by just about everyone. It was the one that had caused the village so much pain. It was going to pay, dearly.

"Show your true form," Nariko demanded, "I know you're no genin, or even a female for that matter."

The 'girl' smirked.

"How guile of you. But I do not wish to show my true appearance."

"If you won't," the blonde growled, "I'll make you!"

She leaped from the branch, zanbato in hand and went in for the kill. Nariko sent out a violent slash, cutting through the tree behind her enemy. The genin in disguise sent out a kick, making direct contact with the blonde's neck, snapping it. Nariko turned to smoke.

Taking this moment, Sasuke used his _Goykakyu no jutsu_ (Grand fireball jutsu), hoping to burn the enemy to death. The genin dodged the flames, and not a second after had to leap out of the way of a zanbato. While the two were attacking, Shikamaru began to throw kunai with wires tied on the end, explosive tags attached. He started to work on it, making a net of wire and explosives. Once his net was done, he jumped off the tree and onto the ground. Sasuke saw this and followed suit. Nariko, however, was a different story.

She was too worked up about what he had done that she didn't notice Shikamaru's trap. She kept swinging her zanbato, conducting fire along the blade.

"Your hatred is strong," she hissed, "But I have no idea why you're so angry."

"You killed her," Nariko spat, "Because of you, I was an outcast! Hundreds of shinobi died because of what you did!"

With an animalistic cry, she kept attacking, blue eyes blazing. Her swings became faster and more violent, actually grazing the murderer once.

'Release the genjutsu on my hanyou form Kaa-san,' Nariko requested.

The blonde sprung forward, landing a kick on the 'genin's' chest.

'She's faster,' he thought inside his disguise.

The blonde jumped back, giving him a moment to see her changed form. A grin formed on 'her' face.

"Oh so you're the Kyuubi child," 'she' grinned, "How surprising; Old Man Sarutobi has let you become demonic. You'd be perfect to be my new _student_, albeit your gender…"

Finally, he showed his true face, peeling off his fake skin. The pale, thin man was grinning, grinning manically. His evil snake-like eyes were glowing with anticipation.

"Come to me, and you'll have all the power you could desire," he said, "Enough to free your tenant; that IS what you want, correct?"

Nariko could feel part of her giving in, wanting to free her only motherly figure. But… she couldn't.

**This man is evil. Do not listen to him.**

"Never," Nariko spat, "I'm going to kill you."

Se raced forward, flaming blade in hand, tails whipping around in anger.

"Kukuku, silly girl. You won't be able to stop me with such wide attacks. And as for joining me, you don't have a choice."

With a quick movement, he split the blade in half and knocked it out of her hand. The resulting flames set off all of the explosive notes.

-

The explosion… it wasn't supposed to work that way! Shikamaru feared for his friend for the first time in a long time.

'Kyuubi-hime,' he thought, 'Please save her.'

-

Sasuke stood stock still as he watched the scene above him. His teammate was fighting valiantly against the genin, not noticing the trap. His rival, and maybe friend, had just been… No, it couldn't have been… He didn't even tell her…

"Poor girl was consumed by hatred," a man said from behind the two, "She didn't even notice that she was fighting a _tsuchi bunshin_ (earth clone) the whole time."

"I'll kill you for that!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Kukuku, don't you have to avenge your clan first?"

During their short conversation, Shikamaru had gone through hand seals to a jutsu he had just recently been taught.

Slamming his hand into the ground he said, "_Doton: Retsudotensho no jutsu_ (Earth Style: Split Earth Turn Around Palm)!"

The ground beneath the man began to spiral down into the ground, pulling him down into the mud, crushing him alive.

Shikamaru sat down, gasping for breath.

"That took more chakra than the scroll said it would," he panted.

Almost immediately though, he was fiercely kicked into a tree, knocking him unconscious.

"Genin can't kill me," he sighed, "But how much of a fight can you put up Sasuke-kun?"

He made some hand seals before summoning a giant snake. Sasuke didn't have any second thoughts, any fear. All he wanted to do was defeat this man, for his team.

Focusing chakra to his feat, he ran up the snake, kunai in hand and ready to kill. They engaged in battle atop the serpent, exchanging punches and kicks. Sasuke attacked with all he had, sharingan and all, but it wasn't enough to defeat the scary man in front of him.

"Not bad Sasuke-kun," he cooed, "But I can make you stronger…"

Sasuke was about to charge in when not one, but two powerful forces of killer intent paralyzed him. Taking this chance, the man somehow elongated his neck and came forward. His head shot forward and sunk his canines into Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha gasped in pain and sunk to his knees. Before he passed out, he saw a blonde figure jump in front of him.

"Nariko?"

-

"Where do you think you're going?"

The man who had beaten most of Team 7 turned around to face a very angry hanyou. She was ashy and bloody, but without a visible scratch on her.

"The Kyuubi Brat survived," he sighed, "How persistent."

"Can I at least know what the name of the being that is the cause for all this misery?"

"Orochimaru."

How anticlimactic… A guy who looks snake-like, who uses snakes, has a name that means 'snake'. If it weren't for the adrenaline and bloodlust, she may have laughed at the blatancy.

Just going forward on instinct could only take her so far. She may need a strategy… Who was she kidding? She was no Shikamaru. Making up a plan in a few seconds was not really possible for her. She jumped up and waited for him to attack first so she could parry. Unfortunately, she wasn't expecting him to use his tongue.

"Gross," she muttered as her torso was wrapped up in tongue.

She lifted up her legs and grabbed the muscle with her feet. Focusing chakra to her feet, she pulled. He jerked forward just enough to land on a seal she had made before he went after her. The flames went up around him and she smirked, until he turned to mud that was.

Orochimaru appeared from below, coming up from the tree and extended his neck to give the same final attack he had given Sasuke. But when his teeth sank in, he withdrew and hissed in pain as if he had just bitten acid.

**I don't know what that was supposed to do, but I won't let him get away with it.**

Nariko whipped around to deliver a kick while he was distracted to find that he wasn't there.

"Think of this as a little present," he said from behind.

Before she knew what hit her, he had thrust a claw into her seal. The blonde gasped for breath before passing out. Orochimaru just grinned before disappearing into the forest, leaving the incapacitated Team 7 vulnerable.

-

Team 8 had been in the forest for over a day and they still were without their other scroll.

"Hinata, see any teams around?" Sakura asked.

The pink-haired girl was getting nervous. She wanted to get to the tower as soon as possible and progress to the next stage already.

Hinata was using her bloodline to find any nearby teams. She saw something that made her immediately know where she was going to go next.

"This way," she signaled.

Kiba and Akamaru sniffed the air.

"I smell large amounts of sulfur, which means explosives. I also smell blood. We'll probably encounter a heated fight," he said.

Hinata glared at him, something she NEVER did.

"Team 7 is in trouble. They need our help."

"Sasuke-kun's team?" Sakura asked, "But didn't they fail?"

"If I know my friends," Hinata began, "They found a way."

Kiba and Sakura just decided to go along with it. They remembered what Kabuto had said about the blonde and made perfect sense with what Hinata had stated. Besides, Sakura would just DIE (not really, she was too afraid for that) to save her precious Sasuke.

Team 8 found their fellow rookie team to find that they were all knocked out and wounded in some way.

"What do we do?" Kiba asked.

"We help them of course," both girls coursed.

He just nodded, knowing the risks of disagreeing.

-

Anko was cursing under her breath. Less than an hour after she sent Team 7 into the forest, she was called to a strange crime which lead to one person: her former sensei. If Orochimaru was back, she had to find and stop him. The curse mark on her neck was burning with pain. What she felt didn't matter. Him being back could only mean trouble for Konoha.

She turned around, sensing him in the trees.

"Orochimaru," she growled.

"Anko-chan, is that anyway to greet the person who taught you everything you know?"

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

"I'm here to recruit an interesting subject that I believe you let illegally back into the exams," he smirked, "I gave him the same mark as you."

"Why would you want the Uchiha?"

"So many questions…" he sighed in a taunting way.

Anko sprung forward and attacked. His tongue shot out to grab her but was intercepted by three snakes coming out from her sleeve. She threw kunai and pinned him against a tree. Before she could use another projectile and finish the fight, he appeared behind her and literally stabbed her in the back, thrice.

"You think you can use my own jutsu against me?" he hissed as she went down.

"I'll take you down, even if it costs me my life," she spat.

"I was going to let you live, but you're too difficult to leave behind now."

Anko closed her eyes and waited for the end. She couldn't move and was bleeding profusely. He was a sanin; she didn't really believe she could have won but…

She opened her eyes to find that she was still alive, and Orochimaru was still there as her curse mark still hurt.

"Creepy-san!" someone called, "You shouldn't prey on young women you Lesbo."

She knew that voice.

"Takeshi, what the Hell are you doing here?" she yelled before coughing up blood.

"Does it matter," he replied, "If this guy is bothering you, I'll take care of it."

He was crazy. Sure, he could win in any bar fight she'd ever seen him in, but he was still a civilian. A civilian versus a sanin would be a one-sided battle.

"Foolish child," Orochimaru said, "You wouldn't stand a chance."

The red-head laughed. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed; no one laughed at him.

"Your perception isn't very sharp," Takeshi responded, "For your information, I constantly hide my chakra signature _kid_."

In a flash, the youkai was behind the sanin and delivered a chop to the neck that was barley avoided. His hand was engulfed in fire and he grabbed the ridiculously large bow that was tied around his waist.

Orochimaru wasn't sure how capable this new arrival was, but he needed to escape. He had used too much chakra on the two jutsu to apply to cursed seal and the seal on the blonde.

"I was mistaken," Orochimaru said, "But your friend is going to die from bloodloss."

Taking the distraction, the sanin used a _kawarimi_ and disappeared.

"I didn't know you were…" Anko began before drifting out.

"Be quiet," Takeshi ordered, "He hit some important organs, but nothing I can't fix."

A green glow encompassed his hand and he began healing her wounds. The fact that the red-head was actually a medic was not widely known. The only people that knew were also in most of the group pranks and/or crimes. The truth was, although he had six tails, he only knew a few jutsu besides medical techniques. It was one of the reasons he was exiled and his power halved. Only one of the reasons…

-

Hinata was tending to the wounds of her friends and Sasuke.

"I didn't know you knew medical techniques," Kiba said, looking on.

She just nodded. Because of her dislike of hurting people with her jyuuken, the clan looked upon her with dishonor for being weak. That fact had pissed off both Nariko and Takeshi. Somehow understanding her situation, Takeshi had offered to teach her how to heal.

"Kiba, could you get me some more water?" Hinata asked, "And Sakura, you should go with him; he and Akamaru shouldn't go alone."

"What about you?" she asked, hoping she could stay with Sasuke.

"I'll be fine."

Hinata would later regret those words. Soon after her team left, three teams from the sound emerged from the forest. The Hyuuga had a feeling that she would be forced to hurt them, if not for the sake of her friends.

-

'I overreacted again,' Gaara thought.

All around was the blood of a crushed rain team. He had killed them all. It happened every now and again, the need to kill. This had been going on for the past day.

"Gaara, they have an earth scroll," Kankuro said, "Just like us."

The sand team currently had four earth scrolls.

At that moment, they sensed several chakra signatures all at once.

"It must be some battle," Temari commented.

Gaara took a step in that direction and his siblings tensed.

"Let's go," he said.

"But Gaara-"

He gave a death glare and the bloody sand at his feet writhed in agreement. Whenever that happened, there was no argument. Whoever was fighting was about to get one Hell of a surprise…

-

**A/N:** I finally finished the chapter! Okay, I actually started this week, but I've been distracted. I swear I must have some sort of ADD… Plus I wrote a new fanfic -hinthint-

Anyway, the 400th reviewer is Kingdom's Princess, so, yay for you! Um, sorry for the delay in update. Thank you Pancake Mix for helping me concentrate on writing; I really appreciate it. So, about my OC. I figured, I might want to give him some sort of non-powerful ability that was still useful enough to fit his character. Hopefully I didn't break any 'OC Rules'.

As for Sasuke being over reactive, I decided that I want to change his character a bit since he kind of qualifies as a Gary Stu… Search it on wikipedia, and you'll see that he qualifies. And I was asked for final pairing and as I said, it's a surprise! But there will be a temporary pairing… ANYWAY, to end this I have a poll. In the finals, should Nariko fight Gaara or Sasuke? 'til next time, **REVIEW!**


	19. We Hate Otogakure

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 19: We Hate Otogakure**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** Can you take a rain check?

-

This was bad. No, scratch that, the situation looked very bleak. Hinata was surrounded by nine oto shinobi. If she wasn't able to defeat them all, her friends and Sasuke were goners. The problem was, she couldn't use her juuken for she'd be open to an assault from the others. And although she had her byakugan, there was no way she could deflect all their attacks. She'd have to use her own creation.

"Aren't you going to attack us?" one of them taunted.

"Now Zaku, we outnumber her in not only numbers but skill. It's wise to be hesitant, on her part that is."

The one presumably Zaku snorted and his mummy-like teammate.

Hinata had no problem attacking them. She could have by now, but was trying to buy time for when the rest of her team got back. Unfortunately, they weren't that patient.

Zaku put his hands in front of him, pointing at Hinata.

"_Zakuuha_! (Decapitating Sound Wave)"

Hinata jumped away, not knowing what his attack would do, let alone what it was. When she landed, she saw that he had put a hole through a tree, and sliced an arm off one of his fellow nin, rendering him unable to use jutsu.

"How reckless," his teammate began, no actual concern in his voice, "You hurt one of our comrades…"

The Hyuuga heir was disgusted with their attitude towards their fellow shinobi. Hinata got into her clan's stance ready to, as Kiba would say it, kick some ass. She began spinning, releasing her chakra and spinning to form a dome-like shape of chakra. It was her family's ultimate defense, sort of. She wasn't perfect with it, and it couldn't deflect the opponent's attacks back at them (Although, probably no one could deflect sound effectively). Instead, she could make razor-line cuts on her opponents, damaging their organs.

Two oto shinobi dropped dead.

The move took quite a bit of chakra, but it was worth it in the end. Hinata looked at the damage she had caused and froze. It was her first kill. Although she, Shikamaru, and Nariko got into sticky situations, the blonde was the only one to actually kill someone. She figured that Shikamaru hadn't made a kill yet either.

She had just killed two people… Of her own free will at that.

Taking her distraction as an opening, the remaining shinobi attacked from a distance. They all used some sort of sound attack, except for one girl who did nothing at the time. Hinata was surrounded, and couldn't dodge the sound waves. Instead, she used a trick she thought up. Doing a quick _kawarimi_, she switched herself and one of her enemy. He was effectively killed.

By now, the Hyuuga was tired out of her mind. She had used at least half of her chakra healing Team 7, and another portion to cut three of them down to size, and then switching herself with another human took much concentration.

In the time it took her to catch her breath slightly, a trap was sprung and a large log came swinging down. If it weren't for her byakugan, she would be crushed. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough, and it hit her left leg, spraining it.

When she tried to stand, pain shot up her leg. But she couldn't give up; she had to help her friends. Using her modified _kaiten_ was out of the question now.

"Nice try," an oto kunoichi taunted, "But it looks like it's over."

Hinata got back up into stance, trying not to wince in pain. These people clearly preferred ranged attacks, so she'd have to close the difference. She went to move in, but her ankle made her collapse on the ground.

"_Zakuuha_!"

Hinata suddenly felt herself being moved out of danger. She looked up to see Rock Lee in a defensive stance in front of her.

"Do not worry my beautiful lotus. I will protect you with my life!"

Having Nariko as a best friend and having Takeshi as her sensei must've rubbed off on her for she said, "Thanks, but don't think that I need to be defended or I can't fight for myself."

"Of course not," Lee responded, "I am merely a comrade evening the odds, am I not?"

If it weren't a serious battle, Hinata probably would've sweatdropped as his two statements contradicted.

"Lee," Hinata began, "Nariko says that you can't use chakra, correct?"

"Yes, but that does not mean that I can't become a splendid shinobi."

"Maybe I could help you out in that respect. Now hold still."

-

The remaining six oto nin watched the two interact, unsure if they were planning or making the illusion that their guard was down. The appearance of another genin was surprising, as Minoru's team was supposed to lay traps to keep the rest of Team 8 from returning.

-

"What did you-"

Using her juuken, Hinata had unlocked Lee's tenketsu, actually allowing him to use jutsu. Although, he didn't KNOW any jutsu, but focusing it to his legs would give him devastating speed.

-

"This sucks."

Kiba, Akamaru, and Sakura had just come back from getting water when a trap was triggered, pulling them up in a barbed wire net. The bad part was, the net was attached to a lever that every second they were in the net was pulling down. They could see the kunai waiting to be released, green poison glinting on the tips.

The three were working the wire back and forth, trying to wear it down but there wasn't enough time to get out that way. Normally, they would use kunai but to reach their holster would tear up their arms, killing them as the barbs were also poisoned, but not as strongly.

"I need to use that jutsu," Sakura said.

"Sakura, if we get out of here, you'll be totally drained," Kiba said.

"If I don't," she replied, "We won't get out at all."

He nodded, agreeing with what she said. With all this trouble, Kiba wondered why it had to HIM to be sent for water…

-

Not used to being able to use chakra, Lee sped off in a blink of an eye and went to attack. He targeted the girl who showed now signs of having any large-scale weapon on manipulating sound waves. Lee punched her in the head, sending her into unconsciousness. Next, he targeted a shinobi with only one arm who was bleeding profusely and on the border of death.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, before delivering a strong kick to the paralyzed nin.

Already wounded, he would be left out in the woods to be killed by some creature which would feast on his flesh. Only four remained. This included Mummy-Man and Zaku.

"We need to retreat," the unnamed shinobi said.

"And I suppose that you'll tell him that we failed the mission," Dosu said.

He didn't reply.

"The two of you go back and make sure the others are dead," he ordered as Lee came in to attack another one of them.

Suddenly, Dosu disappeared, a log in his place. Lee was sent to his knees as a powerful shockwave of sound was released from a metal gauntlet on his enemy's arm. Blood was dripping from his face as a result from the attack, leaving his senses fried. Before Dosu could make a final blow, he had to jump back as a kunai whizzed past his face.

Hinata was ready to fight back. Although her leg was still wounded, she had regained some energy; enough to at least keep Lee from dying. Unluckily, Zaku had other plans. Using his sound waves, he attacked. Hinata had no choice but to take the hit, for if it were to connect with the tree, Team 7 was most likely to meet their fate.

Both genin were battered, but stopping would mean death to not only them, but the people around them. The third member of the remaining oto team, Kin, had been awoken by some substance, smelling salts of some kind, carried by the team's leader.

"It looks like it ends here," Zaku smirked.

His sense of victory was short lived as a wave of sand crashed down and crushed him, showering blood everywhere. All eyes turned (if possible) to see the new arrivals. This included an angry red-head from Suna who was ready to kill them all.

Gaara's sand glided over to Lee, daring the others to attack. He turned towards the tree where now four people lay unconscious.

"Leave now or I will kill you," Gaara said.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Dosu replied.

He showed no emotion or regret as his sand crashed down to kill his enemy. But he was able to escape, a log taking the punishment instead. Dosu jumped and lashed out with a brutal aerial attack of sound waves. Gaara created a shield of sand around himself and his siblings, the granular density taking away the bite in the attack. When he landed, Dosu didn't stand a chance.

-

Sakura was panting from chakra drain. Using her jutsu, she was able to break the net without being poisoned, but it left her very tired.

"Sakura you need to rest; I think you were poisoned," Kiba said.

The two were still near the river, having narrowly escaped the trap with the help of Sakura's jutsu.

"Kiba, I'll be fine," she said, "Let's just get the water and return. We've been gone long enough already."

He was about to reply when he smelled something. Back where they were camped, he smelled blood, lots of it.

"Sakura, Hinata's in danger," he said, "I smell blood."

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded and the two were about to take off when they were stopped by two oto shinobi. Presumably, there were others of their village fighting Hinata. Kiba got ready to fight as Sakura was tired from freeing them from the trap.

This fight never started though, as the team leader came rushing through the trees.

"Retreat!" he called.

The others were startled; retreating would mean their death. Whoever or whatever he had been fighting couldn't possibly be scarier than Orochimaru, right? In this thought, they didn't even notice that a cloud of sand had darkened the sky above them.

-

Dosu was running out of ideas. His opponent clearly had a way to stop his sound waves which were basically the only weapon he had. And even if he were to figure out how to get around the shield of sand, there still was the fact that there were two others who would probably jump in at a moment's notice. Least to say, he was worried.

Why would Orochimaru send him in if he gave the Uchiha THAT mark? That's when he understood that he and the eight other genin were nothing more than scapegoats to test his little experiment. If that was the case, then he'd have no problem retreating with the few people left of the group.

"Kin, move out," he ordered.

The girl nodded before leaping into the trees after him.

"You're not getting away from me!" Gaara yelled, going in for the chase.

The two nin were going as fast as possible, trying to avoid the crazed suna shinobi. Kin, who wasn't nearly as fast as Dosu, was caught and effectively crushed.

-

Temari and Kankuro were nervous. No, they were terrified. Gaara usually never went into a killing spree. In fact, he never did much except badly bruise or knockout people outside of specific missions. So when he actually killed people with such brutality… there wasn't much that could stop him until he calmed down on his own.

"Why is he so…?" Kankuro began.

Temari turned to the tree where the valiant Lee and Hinata were currently out cold. What had they been defending so tenaciously? That's when she saw three people she wasn't expecting to see.

"Kankuro," she began, "I know why Gaara's being so defensive of this place."

The puppet user took a look inside to see what his sister was looking at.

"How did they get here? Didn't they fail?"

In truth, he had been relieved when Team 7 had failed. That way, in the dangerous exam, Gaara and the blonde would have almost non-existent contact. It was probably, no it WAS safer that way.

She moved. The two moved back, unsure of what she was going to do. They were met with a yawn.

"How long have I been out?" she asked, "And where the Hell is that bastard?"

She looked around and saw that both her teammates weren't awake, and Hinata and Lee were there also, passed out. Then she saw Temari and Kankuro.

"Temari, Doll-Boy, what are you doing here?" she asked before her blue eyes lit up, "Where's Gaara?"

They just stared at her, not saying a word, mouths agape. The blonde just quirked a brow but decided that it was nothing.

"Damn, I feel like I was hit by a boulder," she said, holding her stomach.

They still were staring. It was annoying. Really annoying. She crawled out of the tree (it wasn't very tall in there) and stood up next to them. She narrowed her blue eyes.

"What are you staring at Doll-Boy," she demanded.

"Y-y-you," he stammered, "Um, you have-"

He pointed to behind her. She turned to see her two golden tails swishing behind her, along with the two fox ears on top of her head. For some reason, the Kyuubi hadn't reestablished the genjutsu to hide her hanyou features.

'Um, Kaa-san…' she thought.

But there was no reply. Nothing but silence. That was not a good sign.

"Hold on a second," she said, "I gotta check something."

She pulled up her shirt just above the seal and moved her chakra.

"What are you doing?" Temari asked.

"Oh you know," Nariko began, "Jinchuuriki stuff."

Ever since the Suna Incident and the month she was detained there, the people had discovered that she was just like Gaara. And the Kazekage had relayed the information to his children. Despite that, they hadn't expected her to actually BE demonic at all.

The blonde looked at the seal to see that there were strange markings around it. It was all that snake's fault. Nariko mentally laughed at her pun. The blonde looked around at the dead bodies and the blood that was splattered everywhere.

"So… where's Gaara?" she asked, "I know he's been here."

She gestured to the blood.

"That's the problem," Temari said, "He… went berserk again and is trying to kill everyone in sight basically."

Nariko sighed.

"Of course. Well, I'll be back in a little while," she said, "Oh, and if my friends or Sasuke die, I'll make you regret it."

The blonde turned and left, not even noticing the shudder received by the two.

-

Kiba and Sakura were afraid. They had just seen someone explode, right in front of them. He was insane. The red-head was insane. He was currently torturing one of the men with sand, slowly crushing him to death. The two hadn't known much about Gaara. Kiba had thought he was cool, having pulled a prank together, but now… Really, he was laughing for crying out loud!

"I'm sorry!" the shinobi yelled, "I'm sorry! I was only acting on orders, I swear!"

"Gaara-san," Sakura squeaked, "I think he's telling the truth."

He turned to her with crazed, bloodshot eyes.

"Calm down," a voice said from the trees, "Just calm down and kill the guy already."

He took a deep calming breath before ordering the sand to crush the man.

"Good…" Nariko said, "Do you feel better now?"

He nodded dumbly.

"Alright then, let's go back to camp."

The blonde slung an arm around his shoulder.

"But one got away," he pouted (Sakura and Kiba were scared from his sudden mood change) "I want to kill that one too."

The blonde contemplated for a moment.

"Well, I guess we could follow him if you really want to…"

It was creepy; he looked like a kid who was taken to a candy store.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

The two human members of Team 8 weren't sure if they should be scared or confused. Either the people form Suna were messed up or this kid liked to kill. The heavy silence (to Sakura and Kiba at least) was broken by the grumbling of stomachs.

"I'm hungry," Nariko said, "Wanna get some food instead?"

Gaara looked dejected.

"But it can wait," she said quickly, earning a smile from the red-head.

"Um," Kiba began, "You guys are going to hunt a guy just because?"

They both nodded.

"You should go back and stay with the others," Nariko said, "If we aren't back in an our, we probably got lost. Well, see ya!"

The two jumped off into the trees.

"What the Hell just happened?"

-

He opened his eyes to find that he had no clue where he was. Looking around, he realized that his blonde teammate was gone. He got up and hit his head against the wood above him. Not only was his head hurting now, but for some reason, so was his neck.

"So you're awake."

He quickly took out a kunai and got into defensive stance.

"Sasuke-kun, it's us, your friends," Sakura said.

He remained emotionless as he put away his weapon.

"Where's Nariko?" he asked.

Sakura looked saddened at his response, but soon got over it, figuring that he just wanted to make sure his team wasn't dead. In truth, Sasuke was almost positive that his blonde teammate was dead.

"She and Gaara have been gone for a little over an hour," Temari answered, "They should be back soon."

As if on cue, the two of them arrived inside the tree trunk.

"We got him," Nariko said, "But I got my arm sandpapered."

She glared at Gaara who was unreadable at the moment.

"We did get an extra heaven scroll," she said, "And his sound gauntlet, but other than that, it was pointless."

"Do you know why they attacked?" Sasuke said in his usual serious tone.

The blonde shook her head. In fact, the only person who probably knew was currently unconscious. They enough though, that three teams had targeted them for some reason, and Nariko and Sasuke had a good assumption. It was Orochimaru.

"We need to head to the tower," Sasuke stated.

"But we can't," Nariko replied, "We have to get there on the last day or Ibiki will send us out."

"It's your fault we failed in the first place," he scowled.

"We should head to the tower together," Gaara stated, "Maybe there will be more people to kill…"

Everyone but Nariko tensed.

"You know, you've been in a killing mood, haven't you?" she asked, "Ah well, what can you do?"

Sasuke had a feeling that she was being too relaxed about this subject.

Nariko began searching through Shikamaru's pockets, looking for the map of the Forest of Death.

"According to this," he began, unrolling the scroll, "The tower isn't far from here. All we have to do is follow the river upstream until we reach the tower. With a group as large as ours, they'd have to be insane to attack us."

"What about him?"

There was the problem of Lee. His team was nowhere near them, to their knowledge, and they wouldn't be able to find out until Hinata woke up, which could, in a worse case scenario, take several days. Somehow, Nariko was sure it was going to be very interesting getting to the tower.

-

"Are you sure?" the Hokage asked.

Anko nodded. She had told the Sandaime and a few others who were In the room about her encounter with Orochimaru and Takeshi. The jonin had awoken to find herself in the tower in the middle of the Forest of Death with no one in sight.

To say the least, they were shocked. Why would Orochimaru return? And even more so, if someone they considered a civilian could hold their own against a sanin, who knows how much trouble they could be in.

Of in a corner, unnoticed by anyone was a red fox, listening on their conversation. After hearing what he needed to about the mysterious snake user, he shifted back to human form. It was funny how they still hadn't noticed him.

"So this Orochimaru guy is really strong, huh?" Takeshi began, receiving a shocked expression from almost everyone in the room, "Why don't you just kill him already?"

"How did you get in here?" Ibiki demanded.

Takeshi shrugged.

"Maybe I'm just a better shinobi than all of you," he smirked, "But that's beside the point. If this guy is so strong, why haven't you hunted him down and killed him by now?"

"He's untraceable," Anko explained, "Along with being one of the strongest shinobi to ever come from Konoha."

"I wouldn't say that," he began, "He couldn't even tell that I wasn't a civilian until I attacked. I mean, Sarutobi knew that at first glance…"

"You're taking this too lightly!" some unnamed, unimportant shinobi said, "If he's back, then that means trouble for Konoha."

"This place has had worse," he said, "I mean, when it was first founded, there were several attacks from youkai."

They all gave him odd looks. It had never been recorded in the history books about attacks from youkai, the Kyuubi being an exception. How could he know something they didn't? What did he have to hide?

-

"Here we are," Nariko said, "The tower, finally!"

It had been at least a day since the three teamed attack and the trip to the tower had been strenuous. At least a third of them were badly hurt and they kept arguing on which way to go, or about food or pit-stops. Well, actually, it was mostly Nariko arguing with Kankuro and Sasuke, but it was enough to count for all nine of them. Team 13 had come for Lee way before they began their trek to the tower. Lucky them.

But after all the bickering, they finally made it.

"Crap!" Kankuro exclaimed, "We don't have both scrolls."

"Come to think of it, neither do we," Sakura stated.

"That calls for a scroll trade!" Nariko said, "We have three heaven scrolls so, Doll-Boy, we'll trade you a heaven for two earth scrolls."

"Two? That seems unfair."

The blonde crossed her arms.

"You have four of them."

Agreeing with her logic, the trade was made. Team 8 also got their earth scroll via a trade involving beef jerky and a few shuriken. Scroll trading… funny…

Well, Team 7 entered the door into the tower. The room was nothing extraordinary; confetti didn't stream from the ceiling, nothing but a blank wall.

"Now we have to open both of our scrolls," Shikamaru said.

"How do you know that?" Sasuke asked.

"The whole written layout for the chunin exams says so."

Sasuke sweatdropped. More stealing…

They opened the scrolls, smoke streaming form them, summoning a man in a trench coat. Nariko sheepishly laughed at the angry look on his face.

"Hey there Ibiki…"

-

**A/N:** Yeah, this isn't one of my best chapters, but I needed to get it done so, hopefully it was entertaining. I didn't mean to update so late, but… it just happened that way, with me finishing my first ever fanfiction oneshot... Well, this chapter was all over the place, I think. Hopefully I had enough continuity, but I'm not sure… And yeah, I know that Nariko wasn't in this chapter once, but I like to have other characters appear once in a while. Anyway, this is the last chapter to vote on if Nariko faces Sasuke or Gaara in the second round of the third stage of the chunin exam. And for the three of you who voted, you can vote again if you want. Um…what else? Oh yeah, I'll do the same deal for the 500th review, but after that, I may not feel like doing chakes for the 100 mark in reviews… Well, tell me what you think! I love comments.


	20. People To Hate

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 20: People To Hate**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** I own this fanfic's plot! (Well, sort of) Muhahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

**-**

"Hey there Ibiki…" Nariko said, "What are you doing here?"

To say that Team 7 wasn't nervous would be like saying that

"I'm supposed to be passing a team for getting here, but seeing as you already FAILED-"

"Aw, come on!!!" she whined, "We went through so much trouble to get here! We even have two sets of scrolls!"

He crossed his arms.

"I'd expect this from you two, but you Uchiha," he began, "Are a disgrace. You put your honor on the line to cheat. I expected better from you."

"But wasn't the point of the first test to cheat and not get caught?" he inquired, not ignoring the quip about his honor.

"You got caught just now, didn't you?"

He had him there. This was frustrating. He and his team had almost lost their lives trying to pass this test and now they were failing. It didn't sit well with him, though completely fair.

"What if we could prove that we were worthy of being chunin?" Sasuke asked.

"Kill me and I'll think about it."

He sweatdropped. How… That wasn't possible. Ibiki broke out into laughter before being enveloped in smoke. That wasn't possible either. Instead of the freakish scarred investigator, Takeshi stood there, a grin plastered on his face.

"Just fooling you," he laughed, "You should've seen your faces before. And Nariko, I'm ashamed that you didn't figure it out immediately."

"You're a ninja?" Sasuke asked.

The three gave him an 'Are-You-Crazy-Of-Course' look.

Breaking the group stare, Takeshi sighed.

"It seems that it's big news to everyone since I didn't get killed by this Orochimaru guy…"

The blonde froze and looked at him, wide eyed. That was the guy… He was the one… The red-head turned to her, wondering what the Hell was wrong with her.

"He's the one that attacked us," she said, "He's a bad person…"

"I already figured that," Takeshi replied, now actually feeling resentment towards the guy.

"It's because of him that Kaa-san…" Nariko said, making Sasuke all the more confused.

The blonde had been classified as an orphan, but come to find out in the past month, she had a brother AND a mother. And what did this attacker have to do with her so-called mother? Could he have killed her? That would explain why she had sought to kill him. From the reaction of the other two, this seemed to be the case.

"Someone tell me what's going on," Sasuke demanded.

"Next time, I'll make sure to kill him" Takeshi said totally ignoring the Uchiha.

Sasuke didn't like being ignored. And he didn't like being made fun of. Even though he had been henged, berating his morals was not acceptable.

"Do you think you're even capable of killing an opponent so strong?" Sasuke questioned, "You are a civilian after all."

"True, I'm technically not a legally registered shinobi," Takeshi coolly replied, "I'm more of a Free-Lance kind of guy… I'm not much for commitment."

A Free-Lance ninja? What the Hell was that? Not that it really made a difference, but was it legal? Probably not.

"Well, when Sarutobi hears this, you guys will definitely be readmitted," he began, "But, for the time being, you have to come with me. You have to go to some sort of meeting. Glad I'm not you; I always hated meetings."

What was up with this guy? He seemed to appear out of the blue the day on their way back from Wave, but it seemed like he had been in Konoha for years. It was strange for someone involved with so many crimes and being the legal guardian (that's what Sasuke assumed) of a blonde known by all, to be relatively unknown. He also was moderately modest and relaxed, yet had an air of importance about him that was unmistakable. The Uchiha wasn't sure what or why, but it was enough for him to slightly understand how Takeshi could insult the Uchiha clan and call the Hokage by name as if it were nothing. No mocking tone, no intended insult. Just strange…

-

The three genin of Team 7 stood in front of the Hokage, telling him and the others in the room what had happened in the forest. They seemed enthralled, hanging on every single word said. Although she knew he was powerful, Nariko hadn't realized until now how powerful he must have been.

"Nariko, Sasuke, tell me again what jutsu he preformed on you," the Hokage said.

Sasuke explained that he had been bitten on the neck where a continuous throbbing occurred. The few in the room harshly drew in breath at the sight of the three comma mark. Apparently, this was a very bad thing as most who received the mark died.

Now it was the blonde's turn.

"Well," she began, "The guy also tried to bite me, but nothing happened. I think it was actually HIM that got hurt from it. When that didn't work though, he used another seal which um… throws off my chakra control, that's it…"

Although she was well acquainted with them all, Nariko would only tell the Sandaime that she could no longer hear the Kyuubi within her. Some things just had to be kept a secret.

As soon as the explanations were over, Team 7 went back to the main part of the tower to wait a whole day before meeting their next challenge.

-

"They seem tense," Shikamaru said, stating the obvious.

The other two nodded in agreement.

"We should get some rest," he sighed, "According to the exam's summary, if more than three teams pass, then we have to have one on one fights."

The three continued to walk when they passed an oto team. Even though three teams had been eliminated, it seemed that one had made it through. They were wearing the same outfit that the others had been wearing, but the one-man, two-kunoichi team did not have the signifying relation of sound based weapons.

The male of the team had deep brown hair jutting from his head, yellow cat-like eyes inspecting Team 7. His weapons pouches suggested that he used senbon, probably poisoned.

The girl to his right looked younger, but had the same analytical eyes, lighter hair falling in the same, yet longer style. A pair of jutte hanging off her hip was less than an inch away from their owner's hand, ready to be used. She probably was the sister of the former.

The last member was probably, at least outwardly, the perfect imitation of what Sasuke would look like as a girl. Her blue-black hair was tied in a short ponytail revealing two dark, emotionless eyes. If it weren't for the giant bow and quiver on her back, she may have been mistaken as a long lost Uchiha.

As the two teams approached each other, Nariko could sense something was off. This feeling was confirmed when a sly smile crept onto the face of the sole male member of the team.

Before they passed each other, in no more than a second, he placed a clawed hand on her cheek and whispered into her ear.

"Long time no time no see Nari-chan."

She turned to look at him with angry azure eyes. Whoever first said that the Chunin Exam was full of surprises wasn't kidding when he said that. The blonde knew of only one being, not human, who dared call her something as feminine as that at such a close proximity.

"Minoru…" she hissed, more to herself.

The sick smile didn't fade off his face at her recognition.

"I'm glad you remember me my azure-eyed love."

She promptly flicked his hand away, wanting no contact with the traitor. Over the years and many adventures she had, the blonde had made many friends as well as a few more enemies. Neko no Minoru was one of them.

"So it seems you've gotten yourself a worthless human teammate you bitch," the more cat-like female of the team said.

Minoru spun around a clamped his clawed hand onto his sister's face, trails of blood dripping down her face In the process.

"I will not tolerate such fowl language towards her, do you understand Tomiko?"

"Hypocrite," she whispered, earning her a fast paced journey towards the wall.

Even through this bout of violence, the third member of the sound team remained emotionless. This happened all the time. And who was she to care about the brutal ways of two youkai?

-

Sasuke watched on, keeping a stoic face. This team seemed inhuman, especially how they treated each other. The Uchiha thought this strange, but they gave him the same feeling as Takeshi did the first time they met. Although, these two made him more wary. Another thing that bothered him was the contact made by this Minoru guy to his blonde teammate. It just bothered him, a lot.

Minoru and Tomiko… Where had he heard those names before?

-

Shikamaru was worried. He had joked with the blonde earlier back in the forest about them, not thinking that they would meet again. But figuring the eldest of the two youkai's fixation with Nariko probably drew him back in. To say that they were enemies was an understatement. The Nara's first real life-death experience was with that being, that creature.

Using his genius brain, Shikamaru tried to figure out why a guy like Minoru would work for someone like Orochimaru. Whatever the reason, it couldn't be good.

-

"I'm sorry for my sister's insolence," Minoru purred, but still managing to have venom drip off his words, "You know how children can be."

Nariko's eyes narrowed. He was not to be trusted. Even with his young appearance, he and his sister were both well over three centuries old. He was a sadistic manipulator. He could form words in such a way that to those not accustomed to it, would be convinced to do just about anything he said. She knew that from experience. And, if it weren't for certain interference, Takigakure would not currently exist.

If it couldn't get any worse, Minoru's attention shifted to Sasuke. The blonde tensed; the Uchiha knew nothing about this guy and didn't know to give him a wide berth when needed.

"You seem unsettled unknown child," Minoru said with a slick tone, "What is it that makes you so jittery?"

Unsure of what Sasuke was going to do, Nariko tried to draw the attention towards herself again.

"Why are you posing as a genin?" she questioned, "We all know that you think the human shinobi system is foolish and weak. Wouldn't something like this be below your standards?"

He smirked.

"My Dear, I know you're trying to draw my attention towards you again. Does this simple boy mean much to you? In that case, I'll have to gut him alive…"

"Feh, I can't say that he does," she replied, "But I can't pass without him you temperamental bastard."

The dark-haired youkai pinned her to the floor. And although it wasn't obvious, anger glinted in his golden orbs.

"You should really learn to control your temper," he cooed, "If it weren't for your… unique situation, I would have taught you a lesson when using fowl language against me. I have to keep reminding Tomiko so often…"

"Get off," she demanded, not losing her cool.

Usually the blonde powered her way through situations, but it was more than her own life on the line. And it wasn't every day that her ex-boyfriend came to haunt her from the past.

-

Shikamaru was watching the interaction. As much as he hated Minoru, he knew better than to get involved. However, Sasuke was about to jump into action. Thinking quickly, he stopped the Uchiha with his shadow, preventing him from doing self-harm. The lazy genius maneuvered in a way so he was within whispering distance of his teammate.

"Sasuke, you don't want to fight him, ever."

"Why not?" he scowled.

"You'll die," he replied, "This guy is well over jonin level."

"Then why is he here?"

"Whatever it is, it's not good…"

-

"I told you that I never wanted to see you again," she seethed.

Minoru gave a toothed grin.

"You know I'd never just leave you alone my dear. I even took out that meddling Kabuto's team for you. I still care for you Love, why won't you understand?"

"Where do I start…" she said, a growl emitting form her throat.

Before another word could be said, the silent member of the team spoke up. Her voice was smooth, yet firm.

"Minoru-san, perhaps you should continue this later, before there is endangering interference as was last time."

She could sense it. Yet another inhuman presence was creeping in and the dark haired girl was certain that it would not end well. Akira, in the depths of her mind, felt the need to move before it came into the picture. But she wouldn't chance setting her teammate off by giving a command. The archer wasn't stupid.

The youkai considered it, once again invading Nariko's personal space, putting a claw to her cheek and drawing blood with his claw. The blonde's face didn't react, but her arm shot out to his neck defensively.

"I told you to leave me alone," she snarled.

Surprisingly, he only chuckled at her reaction.

Brushing her hand aside he said, "Too fiery for your own good…"

As soon as he did, however, a wave of sand slithered around the ground before wrapping around his body. The sand crushed in on itself as the supposed oto-nin was not there. The sand twisted to follow his movements, but was never ever to catch up.

"Come out, come out," Minoru taunted, "I know you're there, Shukaku."

-

Sasuke had been released by Shikamaru's prison after being convinced not to attack without an in-depth plan. In a way, the Uchiha was relieved that something was attacking Minoru. He wished to be the one to fight though, for his pride of course… Well, the fact that it was a relentless wall of sand with no control didn't evade him though. It was a powerful offense that he had never seen before. Was there a jutsu to control an element?

When he heard the name Shukaku though, Sasuke was confused. He had learned briefly in the academy that Shukaku was a biju, but the weakest of the nine. What he didn't understand was why Gaara appeared instead. Was it possible that…?

-

To say Gaara was upset would be the greatest understatement since the time Sasuke was called happy.

The red-head appeared in a swirl of sand, a heavy glare falling onto his prey. He had one friend. And that one friend was the most valuable thing in his life and no low-life scum would mess that up.

"It looks like you went and got yourself sealed Old Man," Minoru said.

"Who are you?" Gaara said monotonously, ignoring the other's comment.

"If it weren't forbidden, I would have killed you, you intervention," he replied.

Gaara kept a straight face.

"But you didn't," he said, "And if you ever make my friend bleed again, I will make sure you are disposed of."

"So brave for a mortal," Minoru laughed, "My team and I will be leaving now, but I'm sure we'll meet again…"

-

Akira was unsure of what was to happen. She knew of the plan to work with Suna in defeating Konoha, but it seemed that their ally's greatest weapon was against them. It was bad. What was worse was that neither of her teammates were allowed to kill either jinchuuriki as it would violate what resembled a peace treaty between youkai clans. Killing the clan's head would result in their utter demise.

-

Shikamaru sighed.

"How troublesome… To see them of all people again…"

The blonde nodded in agreement as she too knew that Minoru around was never a good thing.

Sasuke was angry. He had done absolutely nothing, nothing at all. What bothered him even more was the fact that there were even more people stronger than he. First it was the blonde, succeeding in Wave Country as he had not. Then, he was unable to fight Orochimaru to the end. To top it all off, Gaara was the one to 'chase off' the new enemy. People all around him were advancing as he was not. How was he ever to kill his brother now? He realized what Shikamaru meant about Minoru, but still… Why wasn't he good enough?

"Sasuke, don't feel bad," Nariko said, "It would be a losing battle if you were put against him. The only reason Gaara and I can stand our ground is because his clan does not allow him to kill us."

"I don't 'feel bad'," he retorted.

"But it hurt your pride. You can be such a dobe at times…"

Sasuke's eye twitched. Even through that tense incident, the blonde still enjoyed mocking him. It pissed him off, yet a part of him, a very SMALL part of him, liked it when someone stood up to him. Especially an anti-fangirl. That's Sasuke for you… Hating those you like him, but liking those who hate him…

-

Sand slithered back into the gourd on his back and Gaara relaxed. He turned to see his blonde friend smiling behind him.

"Thank you…" she began before returning to her normal countenance, "But don't think that I couldn't have handled it on my own."

"Of course."

She sighed; Gaara could be so stiff around people he didn't know. The four went to group back into the former 'Tower Hunt' party. Nariko looked back where the last genin oto-team had passed. Although she wouldn't say it in front of her friends, something bad was going to happen to Konoha. Something very bad. And she had a feeling that Otogakure would be the cause of it all.

-

**A/N:** Yeah… This is the crappy product of almost three weeks. I'm really sorry for the delay and bad quality and filler-likeness, but I swear that it'll come into play later. This took so long because of the start of school. I started going to this art school for writing, but I don't get home until five. Combine that with homework and I have almost no free time. HOWEVER, I do plan on updating next week with ALL the fights. I really want to get done with the Chunin Exam arc soon. Hopefully, if the homework isn't too bad, I'll finish around Halloween. I sure as Hell hope so…

Anyway, remember, 500th review you get something written about pretty much anything you want. I won't be doing anymore chakes and stuff after this one for a while though, so this is your chance!

If you were wondering why Nariko didn't freak out the others with her hanyou-ness, it's because she used a genjutsu. It's just that the one the Kyuubi can use on her is more convincing and can probably fool jonin while Nariko's can't.

A reply to the anonymous review by Anoneemusoo: I'm pretty sure it's coincidence… I had no idea… And you're right, that IS weird…

Remember, if you're using an anonymous review and ask a question, I'd be more than happy to answer it next update. You guys can also win 500th review… Oh yeah, I shouldn't have to remind you on Chapter 20 but… **REVIEW**!


	21. Halved Part 1

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 21: Halved Part 1**

**-**

**Disclaimer:** As the last disclaimer of this fic, I must remind you to go back to chapter one if you're not familiar with the standard disclaimer.

-

It had been over a day. She hadn't seen the traitor since that one incident. Once the blonde had told her brother about Minoru's appearance, she kept a watchful eye on her, Shikamaru, and Hinata. As for Sasuke… He didn't trust him enough to actually care.

Nariko sighed. She knew that there were going to be preliminary fights. Shikamaru had the chunin exam layout and deciphered the horrible penmanship enough to be prepared. The blonde felt bad. During situations like these, when dealing with powerhouses, Shikamaru was more of a sidelines guy and not included much. He said it was troublesome, but she knew better.

Although he was a lazy bum who hated doing much except breathing, over the years, the three friends did just about everything together. Plots, pranks, everything. But when it came down to it, her friends just couldn't face off against youkai. In truth, neither could she, but the blonde would never admit it.

Currently, Team 7 was waiting for the other teams to arrive for the end of the second part of the exam. There were several Konoha shinobi already there and it was kind of creepy. The blonde could recognize all of them; The Sandaime, Anko, Neko-chan loving Ibiki, Hayate, and the sensei of the rookie nine and Team Gai including… Oh God, not him… Hyuuga Hiashi was there. Nariko despised him.

He was cold to his own daughter. To the extent that she, Shikamaru, and Takeshi were the closest thing to family she had. But that hard-ass restricted Hinata from being around 'criminals'. Nariko disliked the Hyuuga head to such an extent, he was currently in the top five of her 'People I Hate' list. Let's just say it's a very long list…

As the teams walked in, she saw the two people that beat Hiashi out on this list. Nariko watched Takeshi try and suppress the massive amount of killing intent he was feeling at seeing that face. He had been allowed to stay at the tower for the time being because of his encounter with Orochimaru. Great. Now she had two red-heads who were being angry. That ALWAYS added up to fun… As if one wasn't enough…

She had problems already. Her favorite weapon was broken, she was out of contact with her mother, her traitorous ex was in the same room, and she just missed all the rules for the preliminaries.

-

Up on the balcony, Team 7 waited. The first to fight were Lee and Choji. It was obvious who would win. Apparently, neither opponent could withdraw for two minutes. Other than that, there were no restrictions whatsoever, as long as you went it alone. The Akamichi was in for a very 'youthful' beating.

Nariko hated that term he had picked up. It was all Gai's fault. The horribly Green Beast was currently standing next to her, proposing yet another challenge to Kakashi.

"My students shall prevail in this most youthful contest!" he proclaimed, "It will show our teaching abilities! If I do not win, I will run three hundred laps around Konoha with a boulder strapped to my back! And if I can not do that then I will-"

"Shut the Hell up," Takeshi shot back, "Or I'll operate on your vocal chords while you sleep… Or better yet, when you're awake…"

"That is most unyou-"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru cut in, "It may be annoying, and we'd all be grateful, but life gets more troublesome whenever you take your anger out on others."

Takeshi didn't respond, not liking it when he was totally shut down by a teen. It hurt his pride. Violet eyes shifted to the genius while stepping to his left, avoiding Choji who had been kicked into and through the balcony they were standing on.

Lee bounded up to where his sensei stood, an ever youthful sparkle to his teeth. The blonde looked over to her excited friend.

"You're creepy," she said, "Right Hinata?"

The Hyuuga heir was snapped from her thoughts to reply.

"I don't know… The 'youth' comments are weird, I guess…"

She was a bit hesitant. Having her never-so-nice father there to analyze her every move had her on the edge.

"My beautiful blossom, if it will help me win your heart, it will be done!" he exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that the room amplified the sound of his voice, bothering everyone.

Hinata turned when an arm was slung around her shoulder. She turned to see Takeshi there, his serious expression missing at the moment.

"Don't worry about your father. If anything goes wrong, I'll take care of it."

She nodded to her unofficial sensei. Hinata glanced at the current match. The puppet user, so affectionately dubbed 'Doll-Boy' by Nariko, was proclaimed winner as he had successfully poisoned Shino into submission. Without proper medical attention, he would probably die.

"Shouldn't we do something about…?"

He waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, why should we?" he asked, "I mean, neither of us knows him, so there's really no point…"

He could be maddening. Takeshi could possibly be one of the best medics in the known world, but it was of no use if he only helped a few select people, or when he felt like it. She wasn't sure what gave him this attitude, but it internally annoyed her to no end. The Hyuuga had tried to get her friends to support her, but Shikamaru thought it was his own troublesome business and Nariko decided just to keep to her own business for once…

-

Nariko was hanging upside-down from the railing, watching Doll-Boy fight Shino. She found it agonizingly boring that she had to wait her turn to fight. Takeshi and Hinata were conversing, Shikamaru was sleeping and Sasuke was just there. And the blonde didn't even want to try talking to Kakashi who was pretending to ignore Gai yet again.

There was a swirl of sand beside her and inquisitive, ringed eyes looked at her.

"Hey Gaara," she greeted, "you think your brother's going to win?"

The red-head shrugged. He it didn't really matter to him.

"Who is he?" Gaara asked, cutting to the chase.

The blonde flipped back onto the balcony, a serious expression gracing her features.

"He and his sister Tomiko are enemies of mine," she explained, "When we first met, he was actually a nice guy. I mean, we even started going out and stuff. But he's a manipulative liar. He'd go as far as hurting his own family. All he really cared about was my mother and… He wanted me to help him gain control of his clan as head, and with our two species working together, we could have anything we wanted."

"From what you say though, he may care for you in some twisted way."

The blonde shook her head.

"I thought that at first, but it I was wrong…"

Sensing that she didn't want to talk about it any longer, Gaara didn't press her on it.

"What about his sister?" he asked, "She doesn't seem like a threat at all."

"She follows whatever her brother says, no matter what he does to her," she replied, "Tomiko is just an obedient slave who won't follow her own ideas. She once had a crush on Shikamaru it seems, but then tried to kill him because she was told to."

Gaara nodded thoughtfully at her comment.

"How old are they really?"

"I'd say about three or four centuries. Normally, youkai physically age three years per century, and stop between what we would say is between twenty and thirty."

"You'd think that after all those years they would have some wisdom as an aged human who has seen much less," Gaara mused, "That way they would know that they will have to face the fury of my sand."

Nariko looked up to see that the previous fight had ended and the next match put Gaara against Tomiko. What a fateful match up.

"Go for it."

The jinchuuriki just grinned before descending for his fight.

-

Tomiko was trying not to shake. She was going to be pitted against Shukaku's container. It was quite possible that the tanuki had infected his mind with thoughts of killing, including the battle this very second. Her thoughts were confirmed by the grin on his face.

As soon as the match began, sand began to slither around the floor. Tomiko backed up, jumping so she was sticking to the wall, not on the sand covered floor. With a fight like this, she would have surrendered if not for the rule that she could not. She was an enemy of Lord Shukaku's friend which only spelt trouble for her. Tomiko was part of one of the lower youkai clans, the highest rank being only two tails which only her mother had achieved.

The brunette was skilled against any human opponent, but against one who was demonic…

The sand jumped from the floor to where she was, going in to crush her. Tomiko jumped out of the way in a flash, hanging on the balcony above the newly made crater in the wall. She looked back at her brother for help, but her only narrowed his yellow eyes, telling her that losing was not an option.

Tomiko solemnly nodded and leapt off as the sand levitated towards her. Sadly for her, she was best at close combat, and the sand stopped her from doing so. The brunette had more of a dark/fire ability. As could most of the Neko clan, she could use more Hellish techniques.

Putting together a few handseals, she was able to surround both jutte in a purplish flame. Swinging the weapons back and forth, she was able to throw fire at her opponent.

Gaara didn't move, aquamarine eyes staying locked on his target. Even as the flames connected with his sand shield, glass forming, he didn't flinch.

"You can't beat me," she said, "I can keep going forever."

A maniacal grin spread on his face.

"I know. That's the best part."

Her eyes widened in fear. He knew she couldn't die. He knew that if she was crushed by sand, she would come back to her humanoid form. No matter what. It was going to be the longest two minutes of her immortal life.

-

"Here it comes," Nariko said after the first half minute of the fight, "Does anyone have an umbrella?"

Eyes shifted to her.

"Is that a no?"

"Why would you need an umbrella?" Kakashi asked, almost unsure if he wanted to know.

"So I won't get bloodstained," she said before jumping behind her sensei.

Kakashi soon figured out what she meant when the sand crushed Tomiko, sending blood splattering to the walls. The blonde stepped out from behind him, smiling.

"You know, this works too," she said before sighing, "Not again…"

The jonin looked to the floor and tried to hide his surprise. Everyone had heard the bones crack, saw (and were covered in) the blood, yet… The girl struggled up from the sand, covered in her own blood. Tomiko didn't even get back on her feet before being consumed by the sand again. Blood went everywhere.

Once again, the girl was still alive, albeit breathing hard.

"I'm sorry my Lord! Have mercy!" she cried before the sand crashed down again.

Most of the people watching were horrified. Anyone who wanted to stop the fight had no say in the matter. Even the proctor couldn't step in until the two minutes were up or one opponent was clearly out. But Tomiko, although being crushed repeatedly, was still alright and fit to fight. It was just that Gaara was too quick to recapture her.

The blonde looked to her right behind the human shield that was Kakashi at Takeshi. The youkai was gripping the rail with such intensity, she was certain that it was about to snap at any moment. She knew from what he had told her about his punishment for defying his father that the fury of Hell was much like this torture Tomiko was enduring. Normally, Gaara's attack was quick and painless, but because she could never die, the brunette felt every single bit of it. The girl may have been an enemy, but very few beings deserved torture like that.

Nariko had to stop this, had to stop this torture. Personally, she didn't mind, but the others… They couldn't watch this, it was too much. Even the stoic faces of Sasuke and Neji were shocked.

Tomiko was crying, freaking crying from the pain, the torture.

"Please," she sobbed.

The girl gave a frantic look towards her team for help. Akira kept her eyes adverted, hand twitching to resist moving to her quiver. Minoru gave Tomiko a look of distaste. One that said that he found her a disgrace, calling a mere vessel 'Lord', and for being so weak.

"An enemy of my friend is my enemy…" Gaara murmured.

His sand crawled up her body slowly, making her tear at the sand with purple flames, scalding herself in the process. Was this what Hell was like? She had heard stories, terrible stories… The sand was closing in, slowly this time… One more time, then she could surrender and shame herself, get punished by her brother.

"Gaara, stop!" a voice yelled, "She doesn't deserve something like this. Besides, you're not helping our dream come true!"

Her yellow eyes drifted to the yelling blonde. Weren't they enemies? Why was she trying to help her when she had tried to kill her?

"Just let her surrender," Nariko reasoned, "Tomiko isn't THAT evil anyway. Just let her go for now."

The red-head's gaze softened, looking between his blue-eyed friend and his prisoner. He couldn't have…

The sand dropped its form, letting the girl fall to the floor whimpering.

-

The remaining member of Team 10 looked on in fear at the fight before her. They had seen the sand team destroy a rain team in the forest, and now Ino was reliving the traumatizing experience. There was still one member of the team left who could face her. Ino was afraid of her fight all of a sudden. Unfortunately for her, she was next.

-

Both Nariko and Takeshi dropped form the balcony when the fight was declared over when the brunette surrendered.

"Gaara," Nariko whispered, "I know you were trying to do right, and it's my fault for…"

He looked at her, aqua eyes looking vulnerable for the first time in many years.

"I broke our pact," he said, "I'm still a monster…"

She punched him in the face, to the surprise to everyone who knew of his ultimate defense.

"Don't you dare say that," she retorted, "It's not like I'm an angel or anything either. I mean, we both get carried away sometimes…"

She gave a nervous laugh. She put an arm around his shoulder.

"Let's just go back up to the balcony, ok? Afterwards, we should get some ramen or something."

He nodded dumbly, following behind her.

-

A medic team rushed out to Tomiko. They had been standing by, watching the battle. It was a wonder how she was alive and in one piece. Was it a kind of bloodline or something? Whatever bloodline her opponent had was deadly.

They approached her to see that two people were already there. They were one of her teammates and some teen who didn't seem like a ninja at all.

"Excuse me," the head medic said, "We'll take the girl to be checked over now."

Tomiko was still trembling on the ground, fear apparent in her features. Who could blame her?

"A weak, disloyal wench like her doesn't need assistance," Minoru responded.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Takeshi sneered.

The dark haired oto-nin smirked.

"I guess rejects must stand together, ne?"

Takeshi growled at him. The medics thought it best to back away, back away slowly… The violet-eyed youkai carefully lifted Tomiko off the ground, much to her discomfort. She started to struggle, but couldn't move her body at all.

"Please don't-" she began.

"Don't worry; I'm not here to fight you this time," he whispered, "Only beings like your brother deserve that sort of treatment. Consider it a part-time truce."

He put a hand on her head, putting her into a restful sleep. To anyone else, the battle seemed like Gaara had ruthlessly attacked a young ten-year-old when in reality, he was only trying to prevent her from hurting a friend.

-

"Hey, it's my turn," Nariko sighed.

Takeshi had returned to the balcony and gave her a nod of satisfaction. This course of action would lead to several problems later on, but… That was for later. The blonde jumped from the balcony once again to begin her fight against Yamanaka Ino.

-

Kakashi was annoyed that he had been used as a shield by his student. He supposed it was partially his fault for letting it happen thrice, but it still annoyed him. At least the incident shut Gai up a bit.

"That was most unyouthful," he said, not belting it out like usual.

Kakashi nodded.

"Sabaku no Gaara is very powerful for a genin," he replied in a hushed tone, "When I was reading the file on my blonde troublemaker, there was a section depicting how the two of them had destroyed a good portion of Suna together."

The Green Beast turned to his rival.

"Everyone was told that it was caused by a violent sandstorm."

"It was. Sadly for Suna, she can create large amounts of fire. They're two of the same. The same sort of thing happened with our mission back in Wave Country…"

"You should tell Asuma," Gai replied in an uncharacteristic, quiet tone, "It is his remaining student who is fighting now."

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea…"

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Takeshi listening in, giving him a warning look, promising pain if anything got the blonde disqualified. Although it seemed like he didn't notice, Kakashi saw the indents on the railings. He knew who to take a little more seriously.

-

The two blondes faced off. Nariko was confident that she could win. There wasn't really a choice in this pass or fail contest.

"Do you really think you can steal my Sasuke-kun for yourself?" Ino questioned.

Nariko looked aghast.

"I would never want to go out with Bastard! He's such a dobe sometimes…"

Sasuke involuntarily twitched, making Nariko smirk.

Forgetting her lack of skill as a kunoichi, Ino screeched, "How dare you say that about my Sasuke-kun!"

Nariko heard a noise from behind and turned to see Ino projecting her soul towards her, a chakra-like chain connected by hair keeping her from moving an inch. The blonde had been so distracted that she hadn't noticed that she had been talking to a bunshin the whole time. It was due to her lack of concern for the enemy, the problem with the last match, and the seal. That damn seal was getting more than annoying.

Before she knew it though, Ino had taken over her body.

Nariko began to laugh violently, as only a crazed female would.

"It worked!" the possessed blonde exclaimed, "No, all I have to do is surrender when the time is up and then I win!"

Ino gave a fangirl giggle, making a weird scene as it was Nariko's body. Looking on the balconies though, she could see that there were several angry faces. But it didn't matter at the moment as the match was still going on. Just a little longer and she'd show he true love how good a kunoichi she was.

Just then there was a violent hissing in 'her' head. The hiss turned into a growl and suddenly a pair of blazing red eyes appeared…

-

Suddenly, Ino found herself inside Nariko's mind. It resembled a dark, dank sewer, with long metallic hallways. The most striking thing though, was a giant cage in front of her. The blonde found herself looking at her own reflection in the shining metal of the bars which were only marred by strange black markings.

By the look of the cage though, it was obvious that whatever was locked behind there was what got her there in the first place. The fact that two of the bars were eroded did not help her situation at all.

As much as she tried to see, Ino could not see what was inside the cell. That was, before a woman walked up to the bars.

She had tanned skin, although being in such a dark place, with blood-red hair flowing down to the small of her back. The woman looked no older than about thirty, but why was she in a twelve-year-old's mind? She couldn't be anyone related to Nariko as they looked nothing alike, including modesty.

While Nariko wore a loose t-shirt and shorts, this woman instead had a skin-tight, golden midriff halter top, and black form-fitting pants not even reaching her knees. Could Nariko be a lesbian? That would explain why such a gorgeous being like this would be in her mind. Somehow though, that seemed unlikely.

"Why are you here?" the woman asked, "Only my kit can enter this realm, which brings me to the subject of where she is."

Her voice was commanding, but still had a feminine tone to it.

"I…" Ino trailed off, "Who are you? This IS Uzumaki Nariko's mind, right?"

The red-eyed woman glared.

"I don't like intruders…" she growled, "And I will deal with you accordingly…"

Ino gasped in fear as the woman grew menacing tails, writhing behind her. One lashed out, grabbing the platinum blonde by the ankle, dragging her closer. As soon as she was in reach, more tails shot out, restricting her movement.

"I will pull you apart slowly until you leave her mind," the voice growled.

It was a voice of a demon. Such a merciless creature was inside her mind! How? But it was starting to hurt. Even in the mental realm, the pulling at her sockets was immensely painful. It reminded her of the last match.

-

Ino, still possessing Nariko, gripped her head in pain, yelling something about torture and demons. Gathering herself, the Yamanaka transferred back to her own body, glad that there wasn't another creature in her own mind.

Up on the balcony, Takeshi snorted.

"She always finds a way to into battle…" he said to himself, unknowingly letting the information slip to Sasuke.

'What could that possibly be about?' the Uchiha thought.

-

Blue eyes blazed with fury. She did not like being taken advantage of. Ino had gotten lucky, but it was go time. Nariko leapt forward at the dazed girl and grabbed her by the stub of hair left of her ponytail.

"I hope you had a nice chat," she violently whispered, "Whatever she did to you will seem like nothing… as you will feel this for a while…"

There was another being, with a unique mind inside the blonde? How could that be-

Ino was ripped form her thoughts when Nariko hoisted her by the hair, getting enough momentum, to slam her into the wall. Ino was barley conscious, and her scalp ached, blood trailing down her face.

Nariko picked her up by the collar and, using an extra chakra push, threw her into the opposing wall. The crater left was proof enough that Ino was out for the count. Jaws hung in the air at the second brutal fight in a row.

Sasuke looked at his teammate, unsure of what to make of it. He'd use the tried and true route then; insult.

"I can't believe she caught you," he said, "Just like the dead-last you are."

"Save it for later," Nariko growled, "Or I'll shove your pretty-boy face into a wall as well."

"Who says that you can?"

Their banter was cut off by Hinata's gasp. The screen read: Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji.

That was bad.

Very bad.

-

**A/N:** I lied. The fights won't be finished this chapter. But I'm already in the process of writing the other part. It's just that, I hit the 4K word mark and I was only half way through and figured I'd just post another chapter. I mean, why not? I'm already past the date I said I'd update. So, I'll let you guys read this while I finish the prelims. I'm very disappointed with myself…

ANYWAY, I just checked and the votes for Nariko versus Sasuke or Gaara were actually an even number of votes, so I need you guys to decide on that anyway. So, I GUESS it's for the best…

MysteryLady-Tx was the 500th reviewer and her chake will be posted next update. Oh, and I apologize to those who didn't like the last chapter. I know, it was a piece of crap.


	22. Halved Part 2

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 22: Halved Part 2**

**-**

**-**

Hinata had never been so scared in all her life. She was going against her cousin, the Hyuuga Clan's prodigy. There was very little chance that she would win, even with her extensive training. Worst of all, her father was there. Losing would endanger her heiress status. There couldn't have been a worse match up.

"Begin."

Hinata jumped back, gaining some distance. She knew that Neji could use the Hyuuga Clan's ultimate defense, and she wasn't going to take any chances. The only way she could possibly win would be if she could use her chakra scalpel techniques and render him immobile. It would be hard though.

If she wasn't quick enough, he could easily end the fight. Also, if she wasn't careful about her own attacks, she could possibly kill him.

Both had their byakugan activated and could see each others' moves. But Hinata had an advantage. She had been taught where the bloodline's blind spot was. Takeshi had shown her where one day, in case this moment ever was to happen. It was a small opening, but she would make the most of it.

Tired of waiting, Neji went in for the attack. He went to strike her tenketsu, but was unable to land a hit on the flexible girl. Hinata was just dodging, waiting for the time to strike.

She went to slice the tendons in his right arm, but couldn't as he had landed a blow on her own shoulder. Hinata jumped back, regaining the distance between them. There was no doubt that Neji was quicker than she was. The only way she would be able to get in would be to use ranged attacks to weaken him. Even if that was just a little, it would be enough for her to win.

Out of her kunai pouch, she retrieved a small scroll. Then, focusing chakra to her feet, she ran up the wall, sticking to the ceiling.

Neji was perplexed. What was she doing? The Hyuuga clan mainly relied on their byakugan to attack. Did this mean that she was unskilled in using her blood line? Even her father wondered what she was doing. Hinata wasn't a lost cause. She was actually a very skilled kunoichi, but she lacked the motive, the will to hurt others, when fighting. Even now, Hiashi could see that his daughter was wary about how she attacked her cousin. Had she been serious, she could have just used the caged bird seal, ensuring her victory.

-

"Oh, she's using that one…" Takeshi said.

Nariko nodded sadly.

"You'd think she'd want to use fire instead…"

"She doesn't want to burn her cousin alive," Shikamaru sighed.

"Why not?" they chorused.

-

Hinata unleashed the scroll, showering the area with senbon. To her dismay, Neji was able to deflect the needles from himself using the heavenly spin technique, repelling them.

But there was another use for this jutsu. Hinata landed gracefully on the floor, ready to battle her cousin once again. Using his distraction, she had been able to unseal some on the tenketsu he had closed.

"I don't understand your plan of attack," Neji stated, "But it is not your destiny to beat me."

"There is no such thing as destiny or fate," Hinata replied, "It may make life easier to bear, but it doesn't exist."

His face remained stoic. She was wrong. There was no other explanation as to why he was so unlucky. It couldn't be his own fault.

He charged forward, striking with lightning speed.

Using a quick kawarimi, Hinata switched places with one of the many senbon on the ground.

-

"Where did she learn that?" Kurenai asked, "I certainly didn't-"

"It was a trick we invented to escape trouble," Nariko said, "And to transport dead bodies and stuff."

The jonin looked at Kakashi, who, apparently, wasn't keeping a close eye on his students. There was a sickening crack from the battle. All heads turned to see a wide-eyed Neji, left arm limp at his side.

"It's about time she sliced his arm," Nariko said, "Though it' not the way I'd do it… Why can't you teach her how to kill people?"

"You two aren't the same," Takeshi said, "She took it quite hard when she killed those Sound-Nin in the forest with the same technique she's using now. I'm surprised she even is using it on someone she wouldn't want to kill."

Nariko sighed.

"But it's NEJI. No one likes him."

Just about everyone agreed on that.

-

Now that he had seen that she actually had skill, Neji was moving faster than ever with his one arm. He could tell that Hinata was holding back, for his sake. It angered him.

"You think that I need your sympathies?" he said, "You thought wrong."

Getting out of the Hyuuga stance, he lashed out with his leg, bringing Hinata to the floor. He was about to strike her heart when she replaced herself with yet another senbon.

Hinata was getting tired. She had been using her chakra previously to help out Sakura who still had traces of poison in her system and couldn't stay awake for long. What would she do now? She could easily stop him by cutting more tendons, but too much of that could render him unable to be a shinobi anymore. That she would not do.

"182!" Takeshi yelled from the balcony.

Hinata's eyes widened. Of course! How could she have forgotten about the blind spot?

-

Hiashi was shocked. How did he know where it was? Only the clan elders and head were entrusted with that information. If a mere street urchin had this knowledge, how many others would learn of the weaknesses of the Hyuugas? He would have to find out more about this person…

-

Neji was ready for an attack. Hinata was growing tired, he could tell. Especially when she preformed a simple bunshin. An illusion couldn't fool him. He would be able to find the real girl easily.

But she wasn't there. The Hyuuga heiress was nowhere in his plane of vision. How was this possible? A pang in the back of his neck was all he needed to know that she was behind him. But how? The Byakugan was impossible to avoid.

He was going down really fast. He could barley keep his eye open. Catching himself, he put all his chakra into a final blow. He hit her in the heart.

Almost simultaneously, they hit the floor, both hacking up blood. It was a close one. Whoever collapsed first would be the loser.

-

Hinata dragged herself to her feet, walking over to her cousin who was barley sustaining consciousness.

"I'm sorry my cousin," she whispered.

She turned to walk to the middle of the floor when his arm shot out, pulling the already injured girl to the floor. Swinging his arm down, he struck her in the face. She gasped at his bitter actions.

"It is my destiny to win," he said, voice wavering, "I will avenge the branch house."

Hinata's breathing became irregular as blood dripped down her face and mouth. Why had Neji done that? True, it had been a tough fight, but surely he must have had some honor, respect.

The Hyuuga prodigy slowly and shakily got up, looking down at his immobile cousin in disgust.

"You almost had me, but were too weak to finish me off. You don't deserve to the Hyuuga heir."

He went to move in to hurt her even more when a fist collided into the back of his head, sending him down.

Nariko's eyes were burning with anger. Even if she hadn't stepped in, Hinata's victory was going to be compromised anyway, so she might as well give the bastard what he deserved.

"I will make sure you suffer," she whispered before kneeling down next to her friend, "Hinata, are you alright?"

It was a stupid question, but it had to be asked. A small smile graced the pale-eyed girl.

"I lost," she whispered.

"It was a cheap shot," Nariko spat, "Family shouldn't do that to each other."

Hinata closed her eyes and her breathing slowed. A team of medics rushed out, a stretcher ready to put her on.

"She's in bad shape," Nariko said as her brother stood next to her.

He nodded. Looking over at Hiashi, he glared. The man had just stood there, letting Neji pound his daughter while she was clearly down for the count. The Hyuuga Head returned the gesture.

"I hate the Hyuugas…"

-

The medics took both Hyuuga away, although Neji was proclaimed the winner. Nariko scowled. Neji would pay; she would make sure of it in the third part of the exam. Her attention shifted to the board announcing the next match.

"Damn it all to Hell…"

Shikamaru was going to face off against Minoru.

-

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru said, "Nariko, if I die, tell my mom, I've always feared her."

"Shikamaru," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, "If you come close to dying, I will make sure the match stops, even if I have to use my own body as a shield to protect you."

"Avoid his senbon at all costs."

Tomiko was awake and shaking with fear. She feared the way her brother fought, especially against humans. He had that sadistic smile on his face…

"He uses a very powerful poison," she continued, "If it touches you, there is an 80 percent chance of your death."

He nodded before descending to the floor.

-

"Nariko, how much of a threat is he?" Kakashi asked.

"He's immortal," the blonde said, "But he's more experienced in fighting than Tomiko is."

The brunette nodded in agreement. Minoru was a force to be reckoned with.

-

Shikamaru was more than worried. He was facing an immortal youkai, with no telling how much power her was going to put in the fight. As soon as the two minutes were up, Shikamaru was going to surrender and accept his loss. There was no way he could beat him.

"Ready to die?" Minoru asked.

Shikamaru said nothing, just backing up against the wall. The way he figured, there would be only one way to make it, and that would be to hold out as long as he could.

"I know you're plan," Minoru said, "I'm smarter than that you know. You're still the same as always, running from the problem, waiting for someone else to save the day."

Good, he was monologing. That would give him enough time to think up a decent plan to keep himself alive.

"So I'm weak," Shikamaru admitted, "What a predicament, being a shinobi… All I have is strategy."

"Against anyone else, that may have worked," Minoru replied, "But what good does that do you when your opponent moves faster than you can think?"

The youkai appeared behind him, driving a poisoned senbon forward. Using the needles scattered on the floor form before, Shikamaru used a kawarimi to teleport himself to the other side of the room. Unfortunately, Minoru was quick to follow him.

Shikamaru had an idea. Reaching into his equipment pouch, he took out what seemed to be several dozen explosive notes. Repeatedly using kawarimi, he placed the tags all over the room.

"You think that explosive notes will be able to stop me?" Minoru questioned, "And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one…"

-

"I heard that you bastard!" Nariko bellowed from the balcony.

-

Shikamaru stepped forward, into his explosive field. Minoru smirked. A false move and both would be blown to smithereens, except that one of them was immortal. Shikamaru made a hand-seal, making Minoru laugh.

"You really are going to blow yourself up," he laughed, "You humans can be so amusing at times…"

Shikamaru kept his face unreadable as he set off the explosives.

-

Sasuke was watching the match with his sharingan, trying to figure out what his teammate had up his sleeve. When he actually set off the explosives, he wasn't sure what exactly to think. When the dust cleared, not only was Shikamaru in one piece, but Minoru was in the floor, only his head protruding from the ground.

"He used fake explosives for where he was standing," Kakashi said, "Clever…"

The copy-nin was pleased with how his team had well blended strengths. Shikamaru was the brains while Nariko was the unbridled power behind the plan. Sasuke, who hadn't been working together nearly as long as the other two, was a mix. Sure, he didn't have an amazing IQ, or almost limitless chakra, but he could assist either teammate with his bloodline in a pinch.

It was funny. The so called dead-lasts and the academy's prodigy on the same team… How often did that work out well?

-

"You can't hold me forever," he hissed.

"I don't expect you to be there for even a minute," Shikamaru confessed, "Just long enough for me not to get torn apart."

Shikamaru's shadow darted out, catching Minoru and keeping him in place… For the moment.

-

She was finally stabilized. Neji really had done a number on her. Takeshi was about to leave, to see how the fight was going when Kurenai stopped him.

"I didn't know you were a medic," she said.

A smile spread across his face.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

The jonin restrained herself from slapping him across the face.

"Not a chance you perv."

He looked shocked.

"I'm the doctor that saved your students life and taught her how to save your OTHER students' lives. So in total, you owe me for keeping your team alive."

"Like I said, not a chance," she replied, rolling her eyes, "I don't know how Anko stands you at all…"

"Because I'm a fun guy who saved her life? You know… I seem to be doing that a lot. You guys don't appreciate me enough."

Kurenai just shook her head and began walking back.

"Look, if you want to know about the Hyuuga clan you should just ask straight out," he called.

"How did you-"

"You care about your student," he said, "She talks about you all the time you know. Saying how you're like a motherly figure to her in a way, protecting and guiding her like her family SHOULD. I was almost afraid you were going to replace me."

He grinned. Kurenai had all the information she needed. A hand gently brushed against his arm. He turned to see Hinata barley awake.

"You need to sleep."

"Please remove the poison from Sakura," she whispered, "She has a jutsu the three of you would be very interested in…"

-

Shikamaru was struggling to hold Minoru in place. He had used a good portion of his chakra placing and setting off all the explosive notes. But there was only thirty seconds before he could withdraw.

He shifted his weight to the other foot. As soon as he did, Minoru smirked. It had set off a trap via invisible wire.

Senbon rained down from his left, various poisons on their tips. Shikamaru leapt forward, still keeping his control over Minoru. He gasped in pain. A single senbon had grazed his shoulder.

"Troublesome…" he groaned.

His control over Minoru was wearing thin, thin enough to be broken. The youkai shifted, before bursting out of the floor. He was pissed off.

"You think you can humiliate me human? Now face my wrath."

Shikamaru couldn't move. The poison had paralyzed him, making it almost impossible to move. He took the full punch to the face.

He bounced off the floor, skidding to a halt. Before he could pass out, Minoru hoisted him by the collar and kneed him in the gut before kicking the poor boy into the wall.

Minoru laughed as his opponent coughed up large amounts of blood, shuddering in pain.

"Now what will you do?" he taunted.

"I…" Shikamaru said, his voice barley above a raspy whisper, "I surrender."

"You WHAT!" he exploded, "But the fun's just begun!"

He launched forward, speeding towards his target.

-

Nariko looked on in fear as Minoru attacked. There would be no way she could stop him without using a full-fledged attack. She would be disqualified, and would not get the chance to beat Neji into the dirt.

Hell to that, Shikamaru's life was more important. No, it was too late…

-

Shikamaru closed his eyes and waited for the end to come. The sound of impact came, but he felt nothing. Opening his eyes, he came face to face with a thick wall of sand.

Minoru backed away from his enemy and the sand retreated back to its owner.

"Minoru, you are disqualified."

"What?" he asked, venom dripping from his voice.

"You attacked you opponent with the intent to kill after he surrendered," Hayate explained, "Therefore, you're disqualified."

"You will rue this mistake," Minoru hissed, "That is a promise…"

-

Gaara was happy when he heard the blonde's sigh of relief. While watching the beating at the end, the red-head was reminded all too much of his own match. He would not become a monster. He refused to.

As Nariko ran over to her friend, he approached Tomiko who had been watching the whole scene.

"I… am sorry," he said to her, "I shouldn't have taken the fight that far."

Tomiko looked up with a perplexed expression, only to see him walking back to his former place on the balcony. She smirked. He really was like Shukaku after all. Tough in battle, and almost too prideful to apologize for their horrible deeds.

-

"You know what I asked you to tell my mom?" Shikamaru asked, coughing up more blood, "Let's keep that a secret, ok?"

"Shut up," she ordered, "You're in no shape to be talking now."

She could've sworn that he muttered an inaudible troublesome, but she'd let his annoying overused catchphrase slip this time around.

-

Temari and Kiba were on the floor, starting their match. Nariko wasn't really paying attention. She was too busy thinking of ways to torture both Neji and Minoru. Both of her best friends were hospitalized.

Something dawned on her.

"Where's Kakashi, Gai, and Lee?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"Probably in the infirmary," he said.

A powerful wind blew through the room. Nariko moved towards the wall, not wanting to be in the way of Temari's attack. She really knew how to make you look at fans from a whole different angle.

"Anyway, who do you think you'll face?" Nariko asked.

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke replied, "I know it won't be like your fight against Ino."

"I have an impairment," she said, unconsciously putting her hand over the seal, "I mean, Kakashi was supposed to take care of the problem, but you know how irresponsible he is…"

Sasuke found this confusing.

"What do you mean?"

Rolling her eyes she said, "Well, he's the only one who knows what's going on and can fix it, but no, it's always a dramatic way to avoid the problem. This going to have a big effect when the third part comes."

The Uchiha was putting the pieces together, the final image making him very uncomfortable.

"Your brother is a medic though, so can't he-"

"Nah, he's not good at removing these things, you know? You need some sort of jutsu to remove it anyway. Hey, are you ok?"

Sasuke was getting very uncomfortable, enough so that color was rising in his face. He was also trying to keep blood form dripping form his nose. How could the blonde and his teacher be… He mentally shuddered at the thought.

-

Temari walked triumphantly from the floor as the next match was called out. Tenten walked out to the floor and waited for Sakura to come down.

"Haruno Sakura, please come down to the floor."

"Hold on!"

Nariko went to inspect what was going on. It seemed that Takeshi was removing poison from Sakura's system. He almost never helped other people.

"A request from Hinata," he explained.

Within seconds, Sakura was awake and ready to fight.

-

"_Serufo no kuchiyose no jutsu_! (Self summoning jutsu)"

There were two Sakuras now. One was the regular, pink haired girl, but the other was all black with white here and there. It seemed that Sakura had an alter-ego inside of her, and the _aka bunshin_ (bloody clone) and summoning techniques fused together could bring her out.

"No wonder Hinata wanted us to see this," Nariko said, "I have to learn how to do that…"

Kakashi looked nervously at his student, as well as the other jonin nearby. She wanted to free the Kyuubi…

"In this jutsu," Kurenai explained, "The inner personality is still chained to the other and not only does it take twice as much chakra to use other jutsu, but any damage done to one is taken by the other. Although, the second-hand damage is only half of what the other receives."

"It's still awesome…"

-

"I withdraw," she said dejectedly.

Sakura was currently pinned to the wall with several weapons both through her clothes, and in some cases, through her limbs. She had used all her chakra maintaining her other self.

"You did well," Tenten said, "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Sakura nodded. That was the best compliment she had received throughout her whole ninja career.

-

It was finally his turn. Sasuke was the last to fight. So was Akira, the last of the Oto team. So far, he had seen how skilled the team had been, but he wasn't sure how skilled the human member was.

"Sasuke," Kakashi whispered, "Don't use chakra or your sharingan. Otherwise that seal on your neck will activate."

Hopefully she wasn't that tough.

-

The two were facing off, two sets of dark eyes analyzing each other. With lightning speed, Akira's hand moved to her quiver, retrieving a green-feathered arrow and loading her bow.

Sasuke put some distance between them, not sure of how he was supposed to take down a ranged fighter with taijutsu only. Akira loosed her arrow, a high pitched whistle piercing the air. Those with more sensitive hearing winced at the high frequency, including Sasuke.

Just in the nick of time, he was able to avoid the arrow. Barley. Once again, she went to shoot an arrow. This time, it was red. She muttered a few inaudible words before loosing. In moments, it burst into flames, heading straight towards the Uchiha.

Akira shot a volley of flaming arrows. Sasuke was at a loss of what to do. He would have ran on the walls to attack had it not been the fact that he needed chakra for that. He would have used his sharingan, but couldn't. All he had was lousy taijutsu.

The Uchiha leapt into the air, going for an aerial dive. Akira of course, launched an arrow right into his face. Sasuke moved his body to dodge it but somehow, it released a net, encompassing him in it.

Sasuke his the ground and Akira pointed an arrow at him.

"Time to test you," she said.

-

"She's a Miko."

"What?" Nariko asked.

"A holy woman," Kakashi explained, "A people who try to rid the world of youkai and evil denizens. But how did you know?"

"That white arrow," Takeshi said, "It's specially made to test one's soul by piercing th heart. If your soul is pure and good, the recipient will remain unscathed, but if not… you're sent to Hell. Out of some lucky twist of fate, I wasn't killed."

"But how did you-"

"Nariko, you should worry about Sasuke. If his purpose for living is getting revenge, he'll be sent to hell," Kakashi said, "Especially with that seal…"

"No!" Nariko exclaimed, "I will not let another one of my teammates fall by Otogakure."

Although she herself would fail the test, Nariko would do everything she could to make sure Sasuke didn't.

-

Akira let the arrow pierce his flesh. He was a victim of Orochimaru's cursed seal. If he truly was evil, it would be best if he died. She would have used one on Oto's leader if it weren't for the fact that he would probably kill her first. Besides, she needed to remain inconspicuous long enough to report information on all of Orochimaru's unholy laboratory creations.

-

Sasuke gasped. The arrow pierced his chest. He felt what could only be described as burning light. An aching feeling in his gut told him he was going to die. It was either whatever power this arrow had or the fact that it was sticking through his HEART!

"Sasuke!" Nariko called, "Don't give in! It might try to take you to Hell!"

Was she trying to help him? He doubted it. They were rivals. Why would she- He remembered all the nice things the blonde had done for him. She helped him stay a genin, she destroyed Haku and Zabuza when she thought he was dead, she even saved his life on more than one occasion.

And he… he may actually have opened himself up enough to actually care for another person again. Even is she was with Kakashi, he would pull through for her. No freaking arrow would stop him from living. No f-ing way.

Slowly, he lifted his arm and pulled out the arrow. Akira eyed him carefully. He had passed the test. Maybe he could withstand the cursed seal. Hopefully. But if it became a problem, she would be sure to kill him.

The Uchiha stood up, not realizing that he no longer had a wound in his chest. He withdrew a kunai.

"I will not lose to you," he said.

Akira accepted this. It was for the best that she withdraw. She only had two shots left. She had dozens more, but she did not feel like exposing her true abilities to everyone in the room yet. It would be best for her to use them when the plan commenced.

"I withdraw," she said, "I have two arrows left. After that, I will be defenseless. There is no point in going on."

She turned on her heal and retreated back to her team, leaving Sasuke wondering what the heck had just happened.

Nariko (yet again) jumped form the balcony to meet her teammate. Not even realizing what she was doing she embraced him.

"I thought she was going to send you to Hell," she said, "That would not have ended well, ne?"

The two looked at each other for an awkward moment before separating, trying to act as if nothing happened.

Kakashi was trying not to laugh while both Takeshi and Gaara were eyeing Sasuke warily.

-

The eight finalists lined up in the front of the room and drew numbers. In the first round, there would be four one on one matches.

Nariko was excited. She was first, and facing off against Neji. Next on the lineup would be Gaara against his brother, Doll-Boy. Lee would be fighting Tenten while Sasuke was the last to fight, facing off against Temari.

In the second round, the four remaining contestants would be put in a battle royal. Of course, that would be most interesting. Nariko expected to team up with Gaara and together they would wipeout whatever opposition there was. That included Sasuke.

-

**A/N:** Finished at last! Sorry about the slow update. I got lost on the road of life…

Um, anyway, I hope I did the fights justice. I only wrote about the important ones, and skipped the parts I don't care about. I feel that fight scenes get boring after a while, especially when writing them… Anyway, I need to clear something up. No one can see Nariko in her Hanyou form because she's using a constant genjutsu, but it's not as good as the one the Kyuubi establishes for her meaning that skilled ninja could detect the one she herself set up. Yeah, that's the best I can clarify it.

I'm not sure if you guys got what Sasuke was thinking when he was talking to Nariko. If you read it, I think you'll get the implications… Hopefully. Um, so, I still don't have the chake for MysterLady-TX. Sorry about that… This is already 10 pages on word so, yeah…

Please, ask questions or critique, it helps me make better chapters. And the only way to do that is to **REVIEW!**

**-**


	23. And So It Begins

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 23: And So It Begins**

**-**

**-**

Sasuke pressed his ear closer to the hospital room's door. He was currently spying on his sensei and teammate. Maybe he would get some answers as to what was going on between them.

-

"What do you mean you can't do anything about it?" Nariko questioned, "It's your job to help me survive in my ninja career!"

"There's nothing I can do," he said, "Out of the thousand jutsu I know, there's none I know of to remove it. Why don't you go to the Hokage?"

The blonde scowled.

"I haven't told him yet."

Kakashi said nothing, waiting for her to explain why the Hell not.

"I think he may have a heart attack if he knew I could hear her," she explained, "And with his age, I don't think he'll survive. Plus, if word got out that I… Well, then he'd have even more trouble than he does now with the council concerning me."

"He'll understand," Kakashi said, taking out his book, "You don't have to come fully clean to him. If you're really that worried, just lie."

"Lying to the Hokage is a huge offense," the blonde pointed out, "But… ok!"

Kakashi turned to the room Sasuke was in, still having to seal Orochimaru's seal. The jonin opened the door. Peeking over his smut, he discovered the eavesdropper.

-

Sasuke mentally cursed; he had been caught. Kakashi looked down at the Uchiha with his one eye.

"So you found out?" he asked.

Sasuke nodded, keeping his serious expression.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he questioned.

The jonin sighed.

"She would have told you if it was important…"

"That's an understatement," Sasuke muttered.

"Now, to seal the cursed mark…"

The blonde didn't trust him enough. Sure, she had dropped a few hints before, but she had never confided anything to him besides the fact that she didn't want him to literally go to Hell. Emotions were so confusing… It was a wonder why they even existed.

-

Nariko was bummed out. Kakashi couldn't remove the seal. And going to the Sandaime would mean revealing her secret to him. Sure, she trusted him, but the fact that she treated the Kyuubi as her mother and was promised to become a youkai after releasing her was something she was sure he wouldn't take well. Not even Kakashi knew the whole truth.

But her teacher did have some good advice. She would just say that her chakra control was botched up and needed fixing. But first, she would go wash six days of filth off at the bathhouse. But first…

-

Takeshi sighed with frustration. Two of the three kids he had protected all these years were in the hospital. While he could probably heal them, it would not be in their best interests. While Hinata was not in any extreme peril, but it was a different story concerning Shikamaru. He was safer staying in one place, where medics could keep an eye on him. Being among civilians would leave him victim for any revenge plan Minoru may have.

In comparison to the disaster which was the Hyuuga Clan's definition of family, Shikamaru's problem was nothing. All he needed was constant supervision to make sure he wouldn't be killed. Plus, Minoru could be taken care of. Sadly, he couldn't eradicate the Hyuuga clan.

Because she lost, Hinata would have to deal with her father. Although she was a great kunoichi, she hadn't been the best of her year. For that, she wasn't good enough in Hiashi's eyes.

Staying in the hospital would keep Hinata away from her family. That was good.

The door opened.

"So…" Nariko began, "Can I ask you a favor? Would you train me in the month before the final part of the exam so I can kick Neji's ass?"

Takeshi grinned.

"I take that as a yes."

"Let me help."

Hinata wearily tried to sit up in the hospital bed.

"I'm the one with the bloodline," she said, "It makes the most sense, and-"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING AWAKE?!" the two exploded.

"Troublesome, keep it down…"

-

Nariko found herself at the bathhouse. Normally, she would sneak into the hot springs for free at night, but this was dire. Basically, she brought home a good portion of the forest of death with her.

"Must… spend… the money…"

The blonde began to soak in the hot water, detaching blood and dirt from her skin. There was so much she had to do. She had to do some shopping… She hated shopping. It was such a drag, putting up another henge over the one she had already and everything, just for new clothes. She really had to stop ruining the ones she had. And then there was the task of fixing her zanbato. How annoying; she'd rather be training.

The women in the bath next to her started shrieking for no reason in particular. Nariko grasped her ears in pain. Why did the female gender tend to do that? It pissed her off to no end.

"That pervert will pay!" she heard one of them say.

Peeping. Ah well, there was definitely worse. But if that meant that she couldn't wash for the money she spent, someone had to pay instead.

Nariko got up out of the water and sighed. She'd take care of the problem if it meant the others would shut up.

Suddenly all the women fell silent. The blonde not only sensed the killing intent, but she recognized it.

"Ah Hell…"

-

Jiraiya slowly backed away from the bathhouse vent. He had been caught due to some weird red-head from Suna.

"I will not let you escape alive!"

The sanin squinted his eyes.

"Are you some pervert hating girl? I guess it would explain the makeup, but what do you use, a crayon?"

He mentally slapped himself. Insulting an already angry woman would not be in his best interest. The door to the hot springs burst open and another female ran out. Surprisingly, she tackled the red-head instead.

"What the Hell are you doing?" the blonde breathed, "I had to literally jump out here to stop you."

Crazy kids… Probably some young ninja thinking they were so awesome. Jiraiya remembered when he was that age…

-

"Sorry 'bout that," Nariko said, "I'd say, go back to what you were doing, but you'd probably get killed. Now to get back to scrubbing off that grime…"

"Your clothes don't look wet," Gaara stated.

"One word," she laughed, "Henge."

His eyes slightly widened

"Now apologize!" she exclaimed, "I will chase you around the village in my birthday suit, and you KNOW I'm not bluffing!"

Gaara nervously gulped while nodding. Her courage had "No bounds. Slowly, he turned to the peeper.

"Are all your friends like this?" Jiraiya asked out of curiosity.

"She's my only friend," he answered.

Gaara began to walk away.

"By the way," he said, "I'm a boy."

-

"Konoha sure has changed…"

Jiraiya's stealth had been compromised. There still was another place for him to go peeping though.

-

Nariko sighed in relief as she left the building. She felt so much lighter, scraping off all the excess gunk helped out. Almost instantly, as if triggering a trip wire, she was staring right into a pair of violet eyes.

"What?" she asked her brother.

"We're going to start training. Now."

"I can't, I need to," Nariko took a deep breath, "Get new clothes."

Undoing the henge she was holding up, he saw the mess she was wearing.

"Plus, I need to get my zanbato fixed. It kind of, broke."

She summoned the shattered weapon from its scroll. She could've sworn the youkai's jaw hit the ground.

"W-w-what did you do to it?" he twitched, "Do you know how hard it is going to be to fix this?"

She sheepishly laughed.

"You see, I was thinking… You can fix this and I'll figure out how to remove the seal."

"You haven't gone to Sarutobi yet?" he asked.

"Ahh, no, not really," she replied, "I have a feeling he won't take the news well. I was going to lie about it but, I've already lied so much already I…"

"First," Takeshi began, "I need to start your intensive training."

Nariko swallowed. He had called tree walking a walk in the park. Well, although it had taken a quite literal meaning, there still was that metaphorical connotation to think about. It had taken her a whole day to get even half-way up the tree on her own. Whenever he trained her, there was always some sort of threat, like no ramen for a week, behind it.

Sure she had asked for his help, but still… She had spied on Hinata's training, hoping to save her friend from any threat, but no. The girl was treated fairly and such. Never was Hinata tied upside-down to a tree, or locked in the academy building overnight. What was up with that?

-

The two stood before a waterfall in the forest.

"First off, you're going to learn how to walk on water," he said, "It's like tree walking, sorta. You'll figure it out sooner or later."

"Don't tell me I have to climb the waterfall…" she muttered.

"No, not yet," he admitted, "Well, better get started then! If you figure out how by the end of the day I'll buy you all the ramen you want for dinner."

Nariko thought about this. She could probably work this out, seal or not. With such a prize backing her progress, she was sure she could make it. Then again, there was always a catch. There was no telling what would happen if she DIDN'T finish on time, but the blonde was willing to take the chance.

-

It was already midday and she was nowhere near ready to walk on water. Her clothes were soaked. Enough so that she had to hang them off trees. Past experience had taught her that staying in wet clothes brought on diarrhea.

"I need something to eat…" she said, "But I have to figure this out sooner or later."

Her thoughts were disturbed by sounds of giggling and splashing. Azure eyes turned to see some women a few years older than her playing in the water. Didn't they have anything better to do besides laugh at something totally idiotic? But upon further inspection, someone else was there as well.

'It's that guy from before,' she thought, 'Doesn't he know when to stop?'

Using her ninja skills of stealth, she looked behind the suspiciously laughing bush.

"Excuse me," she began, "But haven't you been caught enough today?"

The white-haired man turned to face her.

"Go away kid," he said, "I'm busy."

Nariko sweatdropped. And she thought Kakashi was bad enough…

"If you won't listen, I'll scare them away," she threatened, "Ero jii-chan."

Adverting his attention towards the blonde.

"I'm not old," he defended, "Just experienced in life."

She rolled her eyes. What did she care if he got caught by those women? Come to think of it, she hadn't really figured out why Gaara freaked out back at the hot springs. She'd have to ask him next time she saw him…

-

Annoying kids. They never knew when to leave adults alone to their business. Jiraiya turned his attention back to the women in the water, only to see that they were screaming at something. It was that blonde kid jumping off the top of the waterfall. Wait… A kid was jumping off the cliff!

And she made impact… That had to hurt… In a split second, he was drenched in water from the cannonball.

"Success!" the girl exclaimed.

She was definitely annoying…

-

How was he to go about this? Takeshi knew some of the best weapon smiths in the world, none of whom worked cheap. He was going to go to Konoha's own weapon's mistress, Tenten. Of course, seeing how the weapon was going to be used against her own teammate, he wasn't sure how well it would go.

Putting up a henge and tying a stolen hitai-ate around his waist, the youkai knocked on her door. The bun-haired girl answered, looking at the person in front of her. He looked like a normal person. There was nothing special about him except for his brilliantly purple orbs hidden by locks of dark brown hair.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I hear you are Konoha's Weapon's Mistress, correct?"

She slightly blushed at the title.

"I suppose so, why do you ask?"

"Is it true that you are the best at fixing weapons? For I only want the most trained hands handling my blade."

Tenten mulled this over. It was true that she was excellent with handling weapons, and this guy seemed nice enough, but she wasn't sure if she would help. For all she knew, he could be an enemy of Konoha, who at the moment his tool was fixed, could hurt the village. On an also important note, she had to train for the chunin exam.

"I am called Rokuro," he said, "I understand if you feel uneasy about my presence."

How had he known what she was thinking? Maybe helping him was not such a good idea.

"I don't know how much it would cost, but I would be more than happy to pay you with this."

Summoning from a scroll on his belt, he retrieved two umbrellas Tenten recognized as a classic weapon from the Rain village. She noticed the hitai-ate around the man's waist to be from said village. The ninja from rain did not have an entirely good reputation, as the country was in turmoil, but he gave her a sense of security… Plus he was offering the village's unique weapon. If she mastered it, she would know the secrets of the village. With such an offering, she had made up her mind.

"Yes, I'd be more than happy to help you," she replied, "If you can teach me how to use those."

It hadn't been what Takeshi had been planning, but it would be worth it in the end. He of course accepted her terms.

Smiling, Takeshi retrieved yet another scroll and summoned a disaster. It was a zanbato alright, but it was shattered in several pieces. She had never seen a weapon in such bad condition.

"What did you use this for?!" she yelled, "Cutting diamonds?"

He laughed more to himself than anyone.

"It'd probably be in better shape then…"

Tenten sighed. She had quite a bit of work to do.

-

Nariko laughed as she got up from the pool of water. The ladies who had been so carefree a minute ago were staring at her wide-eyed.

"Haven't you ever been diving before?" the blonde asked, "You get such a rush from the forty foot drop."

"You poor girl!" one of them exclaimed, "Who raised you?"

The blonde thought for a second.

"Mostly my brother and the Red Light District, why do you ask?"

They looked at her, aghast.

"What about your mother and father?"

"My mom nags me a lot," Nariko replied, "But I don't think I've ever had a father… Nope. I haven't."

-

The women were shocked. How could a girl grow up in such a way that she thought it was fine to jump off forty foot cliffs for thrills? Who knows what kind of trouble she would get into as a woman! The three ladies gathered in a group, discussing what to do next.

Unanimously, they decided to help straighten this under privileged girl out.

"What's your name?" they asked.

"Nariko," the blonde replied.

"Well Nariko," the busty brunette of the trio began, "As fellow women, we believe that we should help you out in becoming more of a woman."

-

Nariko nervously laughed at their offer. There was no way she would do that.

"That's very kind and all, but I have ninja training to do…"

"You're a ninja?" one asked, cinnamon eyes widening, "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Duh," she replied, "But it's a family thing, I guess. Besides, I can't imagine doing anything else. See, right now, I'm trying to walk on water, but… It's not working out so well."

The women kept pushing. She hated it. It was getting really annoying now. All she wanted to do was train and win her endless ramen for the night. Was that too much to ask? It was just burning her up so much she wanted to kill them. Why did she want to kill annoying civilians? That hadn't happened since… crap.

"Please?"

Enough was enough.

"Leave me alone!" Nariko exploded.

Fire flew from her fists, creating very thick steam around the area. The blonde grinned as the other women squealed in fear. Unfortunately, they didn't leave, being unable to leave.

Nariko felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Takeshi behind her.

"So I'm taking it that you didn't finish your lesson yet?"

A brisk wind blew the rest of the steam away, revealing the three freaked out women. The youkai sighed.

"Why do you always have to scare people?" he asked before addressing the three, "Sorry about that! She has anger issues!"

Nariko flared and pulled her brother down into the water in one quick motion. Water not being his strong suit, Takeshi fell easily to the trap.

"I hate you sometimes," he muttered, "Is that how you treat your brother who's teaching you how to kick ass?"

The blonde nodded in defeat, still glad that she had gotten rid of those annoying civilians. Suddenly, she was lifted into the air by Takeshi, and out of the water.

"You clearly don't have enough control to walk on water yet, which is why I'll be giving you a henge seal. That way, if the Hag isn't around, you won't have to use such a crappy genjutsu."

The blonde pouted.

"Isn't my henge good?"

"Maybe if you were six again," he replied, "This seal holds long-time henge. It's useful when you aren't human."

Nariko remembered him talking about it before. It was practical, but it was like a tattoo. The seal markings themselves never came off, using chakra or no. Add that to the Kyuubi's seal and probably some more in her future, her skin could look like a maze.

Then an idea dawned on her… If Takeshi had one of these seals, then what did he REALLY look like?

-

Man, was he pissed. He didn't appreciate those women being chased off by some child. If anyone was going to do the chasing, it would be him, Jiraiya, super pervert! Wait, he should probably reword that. His work compromised for the day, the legendary sanin packed up for the day. There was always tomorrow…

-

Kakashi was casually sitting outside, reading his book. So Sasuke knew about Nariko's state as a jinchuuriki. There was no telling how it would affect the team. The Uchiha seemed quite angry about the whole matter. It was probably because no one told him.

The jonin remembered what had happened earlier that day when Sasuke almost died again. He definitely sensed some chemistry between his two students.

Closing his inspirational Icha Icha book, Kakashi decided to go play matchmaker.

-

Sasuke awoke to the stark white hospital ceiling. It had been three days since the preliminary matches and when he found out about the blonde's condition. He had actually believed that he had cared for her. Incredible. What had he been thinking? She clearly was involved with Kakashi, whether he liked it or not. It was probably for the best. Itachi himself had said that to destroy him, Sasuke needed hate.

But there still was this feeling that he couldn't get rid of. Apathy was the only way he could ever get revenge, but… There were two vases of flowers on his bedside. The mere frilliness of the accompanying cards made it obvious that it was the work of fangirls.

The window opened, leaving an opening for Kakashi to enter through.

"Is it time to start training?" Sasuke asked.

Anything to get his mind off the blonde… But being near his sensei didn't help in the least bit either.

"Of course," Kakashi said, "You need to be as strong as possible if you're to team up with Nariko in the final round."

"She's going to fight with that Gaara kid," he replied, "She was literally hanging off him when we first met."

"Couldn't seriously be thinking that's a good idea," Kakashi said to himself.

Unknown to Sasuke, he was talking about the fight.

"Anyway," the jonin continued, "She told me herself that she would do anything to keep you alive back when you almost were beaten by Akira."

The Uchiha twitched, remembering his almost-defeat. But he also thought of Nariko's reaction. That was nice… No, what was he doing?

-

Kakashi struggled not to snicker at Sasuke's struggle to keep his apathetic expression. Step one was completed.

-

"Baki-sensei, what are we going to do? The date of the invasion is approaching."

The Sand jonin really had no idea of what to do. Gaara still didn't know of the plan. This had been made clear to the Sound when he decimated Tomiko in the preliminaries. The main reason Suna's weapon had not been informed was for the reason that he would betray them for Uzumaki Nariko.

"Temari, we need to break the bond between the two," Baki responded, "We need to make them enemies."

"As a puppeteer, I have just the plan to pull their strings," Kankuro said, "But everything must go as planned…"

-

**A/N:** Yeah, I really wanted to finish this all in one chapter, but it was seriously too long. Personally, I hate this chapter. I have the other part already written, but, yeah… well, here's the 500th review chake. Hopefully that makes up for it a little…

-

-

**Chapter 23.5: Winging the Plan**

-

It had been a long day of training. Sasuke had been pushed to his limits by Kakashi. The two were now heading back to the village for the first time that week.

The jonin was disappointed with himself. He hadn't progressed past stage one of his scheme. This was probably for the best as he didn't have more than three steps of his plan yet, but he'd get there eventually.

Surprisingly, while they were training in taijutsu, Sasuke had been more vicious than ever. It was probably his usually waves of angst. It happened.

But there was an itching in the back of his mind that something was wrong with Sasuke. And it wasn't that his purpose for living was to kill another, the evil mark embedded on his neck, or estrogenic mood swings. No, it was something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

The two passed a girl on their way, making Kakashi stop. She seemed oddly familiar…

"What are you looking at," Sasuke said, not really caring.

Turning, the Uchiha realized what the big deal was. Uzumaki Nariko was wearing something slightly feminine. Gone was the casual t-shirt and shorts. The blonde was wearing knee-length black leggings and a red tank top with fishnet sleeves.

She turned around and noticed their stares of disbelief.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"You're not wearing boy's clothes," Sasuke pointed out.

"Thanks captain obvious!" she exclaimed, "My old clothes brought home a chunk of the Forest of Death. You think it will work out?"

The Uchiha slowly nodded. Kakashi mentally cheered in his head. Operation DES (De-Emofiy Sasuke) had commenced to step two, and he didn't even have to do anything!

-

Nariko was confused with her team's expressions. First Shikamaru had been surprised, then the other two. Did they all care about clothes so much? Of course, Takeshi had been livid, but he was too protective in her opinion anyway, so she had just ignored him. Gaara hadn't cared at all. That was a relief. If this date was to be a success, then it would help if he didn't analyze something as trivial as clothing.

-

Things were going to plan. It had only taken a little coaxing on Temari's part to get Gaara to gather enough courage to ask out his all time best friend. Now, under a henge, Baki would create only the first of many illusions to break apart the two friends.

-

"So, let me get this straight," Kakashi began, "Uzumaki Nariko the tomboy is on a date?"

She nodded. How hard was it for the information to sink in?

"Well, he's supposed to be here, but he probably got lost or-"

Out of the corner of her eye, Nariko saw the red-head… with another girl. Normally, it wouldn't bother her to see a friend with someone, except that he had specifically asked her on a date. And the fact that they were within eyeshot was painful. After what seemed like an eternity, the two broke apart, the other girl acting like the slut Nariko knew she was.

Turning on her heel, Nariko left the area, sprinting off to the Hokage Mountain.

-

Sasuke saw what had happened. He wouldn't forget it. Never. Seeing the blonde leave, the Uchiha followed her. Someone had to set things right.

-

Gaara cursed under his breath. He was going to be late. He had been stopped by Tomiko. And because he had tortured her before, he tried not to be a monster and throw her out of his way.

Now he felt guilty for making her wait, but surprisingly, he saw no one but the blonde's sensei just standing there. Upon seeing him though, the jonin began to leave.

"Don't bother waiting," he said, "She won't be coming back for you."

Gaara just stared on, hurt. She had left without him. Why? He wasn't that late. Maybe by five minutes or so, but that couldn't be enough. Maybe it was that Uchiha Sasuke. He saw how she cared for the angsty boy. Aquamarine eyes stared at the full moon.

**You know what you must do now.**

Gaara shook his head, trying to throw Shukaku out of his mind.

**You must make Uchiha pay. Must make him bleed…**

"Leave me alone!" he exclaimed.

No one answered. He was alone again.

-

-

**A/N:** I have claimed redemption… Thanks MysteryLady-TX for being so patient. I hope it fit into what you requested well enough. Anyway readers, I will post the second part that WAS going to be part of this chapter when I get… let's see… 15 non-anonymous reviews. While I'm glad non-registered users like this fic, I have enough people who've faved this and aren't saying anything where I want them to show themselves or teach me the magic trick on how to be invisible. Besides, it's not a lot of reviews anyway…


	24. Lies and Love

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 24: Lies and Love**

**-**

**-**

"Damn it, that wasn't what I expected," Nariko murmured.

She looked out at Konoha in it's lit up beauty. It… It had to be just an illusion or something. It wasn't like Gaara to just do something so rash when it didn't involve killing people.

"What do you want?" she asked Sasuke.

The Uchiha sat next to her on the edge of a very long drop. What could he say? Should he come clean or…? Why was it so much easier to punch people than it was to speak?

"You want to go somewhere?" he asked.

She looked at him with surprised azure eyes.

Trying to keep cool he added, "I mean, if you're all dressed up, then you should… We should…"

"Uchiha Sasuke, renowned emo bastard, are you asking me out?"

"Look, if you want to just stay here, go ahead, I-"

"That… sounds nice."

The blonde was looking down, a soft smile on her face. Sasuke had never seen her look so fragile before. He'd only known the brash, courageous, boyish girl who had been his rival 'Naruto' not too long ago.

-

Kakashi was beyond thrilled at this point. Now he didn't even have to think up the rest of his plan for it was already complete. But he was afraid for Sasuke. There was no telling what Takeshi would do to him now… Well, it was too late for that now! Off to finish that Icha Icha book…

-

It made him feel better, seeing her smile like that. A desolate from didn't fit well with her personality. The blonde was laughing, slurping up ramen at lightning speeds. If she was happy, then, he could take solace from that. It still wasn't the same.

He had been right though. Gaara walked back to the hotel he was staying at. She had Uchiha Sasuke now.

**Kill him. Reclaim her for your own.**

'No,' Gaara thought, 'Nariko is my friend. If this is what she wants, then so be it.'

**Not jealous human wretch? She practically controls you.**

'Leave me alone.'

But Shukakau wouldn't let up. There was a weakness in his host's will, and the ichibi was going to push him over the edge until he gained control. Then no one could stop him from quenching his thirst for blood.

-

"You look so awkward," Nariko laughed, eating her ramen, "This is priceless."

"Glad you're feeling better."

The blonde's smile shrunk off her face. She put her bowl back on the counter and said nothing. He was wrong. She didn't feel any better. Not at all. But the thing was, she wasn't at the pinnacle of depression either. It just bothered her that Gaara had done that. If he liked someone else, that was fine with her. If that's what he wanted, then so be it.

"So," Nariko began, "What compelled you to make me feel better? Last time I checked, you hated humanity."

Sasuke hastily looked away.

"Now you can't say I've never done anything nice," he said, "You're just my teammate and rival."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," she laughed, signaling a high-five.

The Uchiha knew now that the blonde didn't like him and never would. How convenient. He returned her high-five, glad that awkward moment was over.

-

Temari and Kankuro couldn't help but stare as their younger brother entered the room. Usually, he was just nonchalant to their presence, but he had this aura about him. It was unshakable, like Temari's hair.

It was the same feeling he emitted on his bad days. Shukaku was closer to the surface than usual. Maybe the widened eyes and the trembling of his hands that clued the siblings in. Baki must have carried out the preparation plan. Temari didn't like it one bit.

"Hello Gaara," she greeted.

He turned to her, a crazed look in his eye.

"Stay away," he rasped, "He's here…"

The single click of the door triggered a stream of emotions filing down into Temari. She was worried about her little brother. She had always loved him, but was too afraid to do anything. The wind-user was also furious. How could she have let them continue with the plan? It was insane! Gaara was like a three-legged table. Without the extra stability of the blonde, it could send him toppling over. Suna definitely remembered that lesson.

"You're going to fix this," she snarled, grabbing Kankuro by the collar, "Or I will make sure you pay."

The puppeteer nodded in fear. He could either defy his father, the Kazekage, or his sister. Either choice could result in death.

-

Nariko and Sasuke were walking side-by-side down the street. The blonde had tried to instigate conversation, but to no avail. The Uchiha would not speak. As silence was not her thing, it led her mind to realize that she had not visited the Red Light District for a very long time…

"Hey Sasuke, how would you like to go on an unofficial mission?"

Time to see the full extent of her henge seal…

-

"I have taken measures to see the plan through," Baki said.

"Good… But I see that you cannot demonstrate the power of Suna's secret weapon. What a disappointment."

"I can assure you that Orochimaru-sama will be pleased."

"You better be certain."

Baki didn't like the way this Kabuto guy talked. He was so arrogant and critical. Perhaps being the right-hand man of one of the sanin did that to a person. But it still was aggravating. The two were currently watching Gaara. He was sitting on a rooftop, looking at the moon. The jonin hadn't missed the red-head's erratic behavior. Temari had been right; it wasn't a good idea to mess with his head. The more he thought about it, the invasion kept sounding less and less ideal.

-

Nariko loved her henge seal. Her disguise was perfect, and Sasuke couldn't copy or see through it with his sharingan. Instead, she had to copy the Uchiha. Sasuke had volunteered to help, for reasons unknown to her.

The two had twenty gallons of paint combined. They were going to give the rivals of the Yuu Gang's hideout a free paint job. And with shadow clones, the amount of paint could be multiplied several times.

"Hold on," the blonde in disguise whispered, "Someone's here."

The two easily let themselves blend in with their environment as a sentry passed by. The two smirked; what a first date.

-

Jiraiya sighed as he sipped his sake. There had been no luck whatsoever with his research. That rambunctious blonde had scared away the beautiful women he had been hoping to watch. But now he would just have a drink and relax…

Of course. There just had to be people outside yelling about something that was of no consequence to the sanin.

"There goes the idea of a peaceful night," he sighed, getting up to investigate what was going on.

-

It was, well, bright. The edge of the Red Light District was painted terribly. The disgusting green was staring at the crowd with its neon malevolence. The buildings themselves weren't much more than run down shacks. There was no one and nothing inside except some worn out chairs.

Jiraiya noticed something glint in the light of the full moon. It was a vial filled with some very potent smelling powder. Whoever had last been inside had cleaned house. The shacks were probably painted to gain attention from others, making what he assumed to be a gang, to clear out. Then, the painters had stolen everything left behind. The only question was how no one had noticed anything until now.

The paint was dry. With such a bright color, it would have been impossible for no one to notice, not to mention the several people leaving the buildings. As curious as it was, it was none of his business. Jiraiya would just have to leave and hope it resolved itself.

He left, but not before pocketing the strange vial.

-

"You have all of it?" Yuudai asked, checking their haul, "And more importantly, who is this guy? He's never been around here before, yet you take him on a job?"

If it weren't for the red bandana shadowing his eyes, Sasuke definitely would've started a fight with his icy glare. Nariko tried to laugh it off.

"He's fine. The guy saved my life once. Wait, no, um… Well, he did the job, right?"

The gang leader didn't find her testimony very convincing, but decided to accept the silent newcomer just the same.

"Hold on," Yuuma said while sifting through the loot, "You're missing 'it'. The explosives aren't here."

The two shinobi looked to each other before taking off again. But upon entering the former hideout, there was nothing to be found except the camouflaged bodies.

-

Jiraiya tilted the vial back and forth, watching the powder slide along the glass. He had no idea as to what it was, but it couldn't be that important, seeing how it had been left behind.

The door to the bar creaked open and two identical people entered. They were shifty characters, seeming to size everyone inside up. The sanin didn't fail to notice their intense gaze on the powder.

"Excuse me," one of the two asked, "Where did you acquire that?"

"This?" he asked, gesturing to the glass tube, knowing the answer.

"Hand it over," the other demanded.

"I don't think so."

-

Nariko was staring to think this guy was a real pain. He was at her training area everyday, hoping those women would come back for whatever lecherous reasons he had. Now he had the world's most potent explosive casually in his hands.

"It's ours," she said.

"You mean you stole it after painting the neighborhood."

"Now hand it over Ero-jii," she challenged.

This name seemed to strike a chord in his mind. Meanwhile, a disguised clone was trying to take the explosive. Before the two had entered, the blonde had gradually sent in clones to blend in and sneak away the powder. Unfortunately, he found her out.

Punching the thief, it dispelled into smoke, giving away their ninja identities.

"Now why would a shinobi conceal their identities as just average thugs?" he pondered.

Lurching forward, the blonde snatched the vial and bolted out the door, Sasuke not far behind. The chase was on. The two leapt from rooftop to rooftop. It was certain that the man was not far behind. If they were caught, there was no telling what would happen.

"Take off your disguise," Nariko whispered, "And follow my lead."

-

Jiraiya saw the two jump down an alleyway and followed, only to see two teens making out. Even for their young age, they seemed professional about it. Oh! What a great phrase he could use in the next Icha Icha book! Kids just seemed to be starting earlier and earlier these days.

"Hey, you mind?" the girl of the two questioned.

Jiraiya just shook his head and left. He had obviously lost their trail.

-

Sasuke's heart was racing. It didn't have to do with the fact that they had just restolen an illegal explosive either. But it was just cover. Just cover.

"That was the oldest trick in the book," Sasuke stated, "He was able to follow us, so he must be a ninja of some sort. What do you think Nariko?"

"I'm thinking," she began, "That you suck at kissing."

He couldn't say anything to that...

-

Hinata was afraid of facing her father. She had been staying with Nariko since she had left the hospital. Now she was going back to the Hyuuga compound.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked.

"Of course," Takeshi answered, "Sure the main branch hated me fifty five years ago, but hey, miracles happen, right?"

The two were lead into the main garden, where Hiashi was training his younger, more 'brilliant' daughter. He stopped and turned to the two.

"What is it you want?" he questioned, "I'm busy training my daughter."

Takeshi hated his tone. It really ticked him off. He acted as if his heir wasn't even there. Hinata understood, trying to avoid eye contact.

"You are a disgrace to our clan," Hiashi said, breaking the girl's heart.

"Because she lost to a more experienced shinobi?" Takeshi questioned, "Hinata is just as strong. She could have used the cursed seal, but no. She took the honorable path."

"What would you know of honor," Hiashi replied, shaking his head in disdain, "You are a thief, a street _child_. What could you possibly know about honor?"

He didn't know it yet, but the Hyuuga head would be challenged to a duel for the first time in many years.

-

Nariko and Sasuke were training at the waterfall, balancing on the water. They were having a spar. Just because they kissed (and initially for cover) didn't mean that they couldn't fight each other until the one drew blood.

It was more of a one-on-one all out battle, but, a spar it was dubbed. They agreed not to use hands. That meant no jutsu, no weapons… sort of. While Sasuke was going by what the rules implied, Nariko had put a kunai in her mouth. If she had her tails, she could probably use her zanbato if she focused enough, but…

She should probably tell him. Technically, they were going out now, so he should know about the Kyuubi. Ouch… He had knocked her in the water.

"Cruel," she said, "I was busy thinking of something."

"That's your own fault," he replied.

"I need to tell you something," she said, "So, could we take a break now? I hope this doesn't affect what you… think of me."

He shook his head. Was she going to tell him on her own? The Uchiha was bracing himself for the information.

The blonde rolled up her shirt just above the belly button. After a moment of silence, black markings appeared, spiraling around her navel.

"See this seal?" she began, "I'm… a jinchuuriki."

That was definitely not what he had been expecting to hear. And although he didn't like to be wrong, Sasuke was glad he had misjudged this one. Wait a second… she had a demon sealed inside her?!

-

"You know the terms," Takeshi began, "If I win, not only do you call me Takeshi-_sama_, but you have to treat Hinata like the worthwhile person she is."

"But if you loose this match, you have to leave the affairs of this family, along with your sister."

-

So this was the Kyuubi kid, huh? Jiraiya was surprised he hadn't realized it earlier. Knowing her heritage, perhaps he could coax her out of the area for a price. Then, he could finally get research done in peace.

-

Almost the entire Hyuuga clan was watching the fight. It was clear that Hiashi was winning the battle. He had hit several key points on the red-head and wasn't showing any signs of slowing. Takeshi had gotten a few hits on the man, but had been propelled back with the Heavenly Spin Technique.

"Do yourself a favor and surrender," Hiashi said, actually hoping to beat his haughty opponent even more.

"Tough defense you've got there," the youkai responded, "Too bad for you I know its weakness."

The technique relied heavily on inertia. Many forces weren't strong enough to counterbalance the momentum put forward by the chakra release, but there was the chance that it could backfire. A more powerful force could have quite the opposite effect, pushing the one inside instead. There also was the possibility of an attack from below as well. But most couldn't find or exploit these weaknesses.

Takeshi sprung forward, propelling himself forward. He met the heavenly spin head on, throwing both back. Hiashi stood triumphantly as his opponent spat blood. The red-head only seemed to grin at this. He had figured out the amount of force needed to penetrate the defense of a less experienced Hyuuga. Someone like Neji.

-

"Yeah, I guess you should've known," Nariko admitted.

In comparison, this was absolutely nothing. She had told him the true story of the Kyuubi attack, and the motives behind it. The blonde had also explained Orochimaru's part in it all.

"It's obvious that you didn't think it affected me," he replied, "As your teammate anyway."

"Haughty are we not?" she asked, "You think that you're more than that _rival_?"

Laughing, she body-slammed him into the icy water. Sasuke swam to the surface, trying to remember why his shirt had such a huge collar which was actually NOT waterproof. It was more like a sponge.

"It's fair!" the blonde called, "I didn't use hands!"

-

Kakashi was whistling merrily down the street. Although he was supposed to train Sasuke, the Uchiha had been sparring with the blonde. The jonin knew what this meant. Operation DES was complete. He didn't really have to do anything at all either. That was the beauty of it.

Maybe he should teach his students something… He was positive that both Nariko and Sasuke would beat their opponents. He was certain that Gaara would too. That sand of his was a powerful force in both offense and defense. If he and the blonde were still on shaky terms, it would be for the best if he taught Sasuke a useful jutsu…

-

"Come again?" Nariko asked.

The old pervert had come out, offering to remove the five pronged seal. In return, she would train away from the waterfall. The blonde wondered if he was stalking her, as he seemed to be everywhere she was. Maybe it was coincidence. She sure hoped so.

"Sounds good to me," she said, "But how can I trust you?"

He had gone through his whole introduction as the great blah, blah, blah… He was still Ero-jii to her.

"Look, Ero-jii," she said, earning a twitch from him, "I don't know you or anything so, really-"

He had slammed a hand into her seal, throwing her across the water like a skipping stone. Sasuke just smirked. That's what she got for inattention. The blonde pulled herself back onto the surface of the river, finding it much easier than before.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, doing a little dance on the water, "It worked!"

"Of course it did," Jiraiya replied, "Now, get moving. I have research to do."

-

Nariko was beginning to wonder why she missed her demonic mother so much. Currently she was being nagged for not unsealing her sooner and kissing an Uchiha.

**I really need to keep a better eye on you.**

"Kaa-san, come on, it's not a big deal. It was cov-"

**And what about Gaara? You still haven't resolved that problem yet.**

"I know," she sighed, "But I still need to learn that jutsu from Sakura."

Just the thought of bargaining with the girl was frightening. Sadly, a jutsu just wasn't something she could steal. What she needed was some genius…

-

Hiashi had beaten him up badly. But it was worth it. Takeshi had caught up with the Hyuuga techniques first hand. Self-healing abilities were so helpful sometimes.

"Hey Hiashi-teme!" he called.

The other clan members gasped at the lack of respect.

"It's about time I got serious. You couldn't have seriously thought that I only knew a simple replacement jutsu, did you?"

The Hyuuga head didn't move from his stance. He had noticed, but had figured that the medic knew nothing more than his weak abilities. It was one of the reasons he had accepted the challenge. His eldest daughter would not focus her studies to learn medical techniques. There was the Hyuuga style, and only the Hyuuga style. The fact that she had used something else in the exams was humiliating enough.

"Practicing medicine doesn't strengthen you," he said, "Not for a Hyuuga."

"You're just like my father," the youkai replied, "That's why I hate you so much."

The clan was shocked at the multitude of disrespect shown. Hiashi moved in for the final strike, but found himself hitting air. His outstretched arm was grabbed and quickly snapped at the wrist. Takeshi only had to pass a hand over the man's other arm for it to go limp.

"I could have healed that broken wrist permanently, immobilizing the joint for forever, but I didn't," he said, allowing everyone to hear, "You should see a doctor about your arm you bastard. It could become serious."

A single clap was heard from the crowd. Surprisingly, it was Hiashi's mother.

-

Shikamaru had counted the ceiling tiles a total of twenty times that day. How troublesome… He had several cups on instant ramen on his bedside table, the trademark gift of Uzumaki Nariko.

"How troublesome," he sighed, "She gave me all this ramen, but what's the point if there's no water?"

She could be really impractical sometimes. The nurse said that he would be lucky to get out by the time the third stage came around. That was in two weeks. He was fine now. There was a knock at the window and his two teammates entered. Why Sasuke wasn't training was beyond him. And why the window?

"We're here to bust you out," Nariko said.

That explained the window…

"No thanks," Shikamaru said, "I'd rather not have to listen to my nagging mother…"

"At least you two aren't bound together," Nariko retorted, "Now, let's go."

He shrugged. He really didn't have anything better to do.

-

"I knew I recognized that face," she said.

"Mother, how do you know this person?" Hiashi questioned, trying to ignore his aching arms.

"You should really give medics a chance," she told her son, "Don't forget that one of our first ancestors to Konoha was a medic."

Takeshi nodded. Ai had barely been announced a genin when he had left Konoha.

"Give Hinata a chance," Ai defended, "She could very well be the next Hyuuga Tsunade."

Hyuuga Tsunade was the first medic of Konoha. She had died fifty five years ago, but she was still remembered as the best among her field. The Shodaime's granddaughter was named after her for everything she had done for the village.

Hiashi was silent. His mother rarely reprimanded anyone, but when she did, it was best for everyone to listen as she was the oldest living member of the clan.

"I may be old, and I may not go out much," she said, "But I do know that you are not much of a father."

Her serious, level tone sent shivers down Hiashi's spine. His mother still was a formidable force in her old age.

"Now Hiashi-baka I have stuff to do," Takeshi called, "Will you be alright Hinata?"

When the girl nodded, he left. Ai inwardly sighed. He had changed so much, yet not at all at the same time.

"There is no shame in your loss my son," she said, "If anything, learn from it, as did my uncle."

The cryptic message was lost to all but one. Hiashi understood completely. His wrist suddenly jumped with pain as it was outstretched. The green glow of his daughter's hands eased the pain. She moved up the arm, pulling several ligaments back into place.

"Whether or not you care for me," she murmured, "You are still my father."

Hinata turned and left the garden. She didn't want to look at her family anymore. It only made her miss her mother.

-

"Shikamaru," Nariko pleaded, "Please help me! It's important."

She had asked him to devise a plan to con Sakura into giving her jutsu away. He had it figured out already. But it involved Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you need to ask her to show you," he said, "Then copy it with your sharigan to teach Nariko later."

"I won't act as if I need her help," The Uchiha replied.

"Please?" the blonde pouted, moist blue eyes widening.

Not even puppy-eyes could break the Uchiha's iron-will. There had to be another way.

-

Sakura was relaxing in the park, eating lunch. She hadn't seen Sasuke for days and it was killing her.

"Maybe he'll just walk by and talk to me," she muttered.

Instead, she got Uzumaki Nariko.

-

Lee was running his daily hundred laps around Konoha when he saw both his teammate Neji being bombarded with senbon. Vowing to run an extra twenty laps later, he went to see if his unyouthful teammate was in danger. Ever since he had beaten his cousin, Lee's true love, Neji had been stripped of his former status on the 'youth chart'.

When the senbon stopped, Neji was still unharmed. Tenten descended from her place in the trees with a frown on her face.

"I still can't penetrate your defense," she sighed, twirling an umbrella in her hands.

"Weren't you busy running laps?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, but I thought that Neji was in trouble," Lee replied, "But I see that is not the case. Tenten my youthful teammate, where did you get this new weapon."

She blushed slightly.

"This guy Rokuro asked me to fix this sword for his client. And in return he gave this to me along with lessons on how to use them," she replied, "He left a few days ago though. He was a nice guy. But it turns out he was a rogue ninja after all."

Neji shook his head slightly.

"In the future you must be more careful of whom you help."

"I know," she replied, "But I can't change the past now can I?"

"You will make more clumsy mistakes," Neji said, "Because of this, your destiny is not to become as great of a kunoichi as Tsunade-sama."

Tenten seethed. How could he say such things? It was her dream to do so, and he just told her it was impossible. The nerve… The weapons mistress had senbon in hand and threw them as hard and accurately as she could at her sparring partner in anger.

"Don't fight your destiny," he said, holding the needles between his fingers, "This is enough sparring for today. I am going to return to the Hyuuga compound now."

She was angry. Really angry.

"Lee, what are the chances of Nariko beating Neji in the exams?"

"I believe that it is possible," Lee replied, "But if she cannot, either you or I will also have a chance."

He usually was a bastard. It was just Neji's way. But this instance really bothered Tenten to no end. She would make sure he was taken down in the exams, whether it was herself or not.

-

Shikamaru sighed at his friend's frustration. Nariko had learned the jutsu from Sakura without much trouble. All she had to do was make a simple bet. A bet that whoever could find the 'elusive' Sasuke first would win. The blonde only had to drag him from a nearby tree.

The hard part for her though was the fact that she had been sealed up. Takeshi, upon returning, had put training weight seals all over her skin. It totaled up to 200 pounds in total. The extra seal also kept it so only she could feel the strain. It sucked.

Shikamaru was just sitting around, avoiding home. Sasuke had gone off to train with Kakashi, leaving the two alone. While Nariko struggled to stand, the genius was staring at the sky. His favorite hobby.

"Aren't you going to help me?" she asked from her place on the ground, "I'm hungry."

"Troublesome… I'm not allowed to let you move," he replied.

**It's that brat's incentive to make you learn faster.**

'He's a slave driver,' she mentally replied, 'Gives orders, but isn't around to enforce them.'

-

Minoru entered the Sand siblings' hotel room.

Sneaking up on Kankuro he said, "I hope you're plan has worked. If not, I am ordered to teach you a lesson."

The puppeteer stiffened.

"Gaara hasn't been himself lately," he replied, "This was not a good idea."

The youkai grinned.

"The plan will go on tomorrow, with or without you and your siblings. We have other weapons we can use."

"Do not call my little brother a weapon," Kankuro retorted.

"Then what is he?" Minoru asked, claws dancing along the puppeteer's shoulder, "Because he's definitely not human."

He took Kankuro's nervous silence as an answer. Minoru waltzed over to the window. He turned a maniac eye towards him before leaving.

"Remember, if you don't do anything, I will."

-

The night's party was a brilliant mesh of celebration. Many lined the streets, but there was a contest going on that everyone around wanted to see. At Ichiraku's, Nariko was having an eating contest against Akamichi Choji. People were taking bets.

It was a close one. It all came down to one bowl each. Both slurped with lightning speeds. The crowd sighed in defeat as they all lost their bets. It was a tie. Of course, this had all been planned out to rake in as much money as possible for the restaurant, but no one had to know that.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Old Man Ichiraku said after the crowd had left.

The two con-artists grinned, glad to have had the free buffet.

"This is like a party," Kiba said, "Where do we go next?"

Shikamaru, Choji, and Nariko shrugged.

"Well, I have stuff to do," Nariko replied.

"Ok Miss Fancy finalist," Kiba said.

Nariko waved as she made her way through the crowd. She still had to clear things up with Gaara. She had been so busy with training she hadn't been able to talk to him at all.

-

Yes, operation DES was officially retired. After the day's training, Sasuke had decided, on his own, to actually go to the celebration. As happy as Kakashi was, he was disappointed that he no longer had any entertainment as he had finished his book.

-

Minoru laughed to himself. This was all too easy. He had sent a single note to Gaara. It would set the plan to Orochimaru's liking just fine. The only reason he was working with the human was because of his strength. The sanin, once restored to his full power after a proper body transfer, would be able to overpower a lower-level biju. With his help, Minoru could claim his rightful place as the clan leader.

It was because of hierarchy that this all happened. He was the second child. He deserved to be heir, not his older sister. Tomiko didn't deserve to inherit the clan. She was weak. Enough so that he was able to steal her physical years, forcing her human form to be no older than ten years. Minoru was over a century younger than his sister, but with his dominance, the spot should have been his.

For her lack of foresight, his mother would pay for her insolent decision.

-

He found her in the crowd. She was sitting aside from everyone else, alone and quiet. Lee approached his true love, speech ready.

"Hinata-chan," he declared, "My beautiful lotus blossom, why are you alone?"

She smiled at him softly.

"I didn't feel like joining the festivities."

Lee didn't say anything in return, knowing there was another answer.

"Despite everything," she whispered, "My father still, deep down, feels that I am not fit to be the Hyuuga heiress."

"Of course you are not," Lee replied, "You are too kind to be their leader. They do not deserve your compassion, but they need it."

Hinata stared at him wide-eyed. He wasn't belting horrible poetry, or promoting youth. Lee was actually giving out sage advice.

"It is a big change," he continued, "But the Branch Family needs to know that they are cared for. My teammate Neji is an example of why you need to be heiress."

He extended a single flower out to the girl, pulling off his trademark smile and thumbs up.

"Do not despair! Let the power of youth guide you!"

She chuckled at his sudden switch of attitude. He was strange, but a nice guy nonetheless.

-

Sasuke had found Nariko throughout the crowd. Being the only blonde in the area, this was an easy task.

"Hey," he greeted, "The exam is tomorrow."

"Thanks Captain obvious," she sighed, "Look, I need to find Gaara."

"I thought we would team up in the second round," he replied.

Nariko shrugged.

"Even so, I should fix whatever rift there is between us."

"Hold on, there's something I need to give you first," he said.

He leaned forward, his lips meeting hers.

"You still suck," she replied, earning a scowl from the Uchiha.

The only thing was, there was someone watching.

-

Gaara walked down an alleyway to meet Nariko. He found her, but what came next wasn't what he had been expecting.

-

"Oh."

"My."

"GOD!"

Ino and Sakura were devastated. Their precious Sasuke had willingly kissed a girl who was not them. They had taken the incident when they had first become genin as an accident, but now… They knew it was trouble when the two were put on a team.

-

"Nariko?" Gaara asked.

The blonde was leaning on the brick wall in front of him.

"Look, I need to talk to you," she said.

The red-head nodded.

"I think there was a misunderstanding," he replied, "I don't know what but-"

"Gaara, I don't love you ok? Sure, I can be your friend, but I have Sasuke now," Minoru said in disguise, "I don't hate you, it's just that I finally can be treated like a human now. People aren't throwing garbage at me, or trying to kill me. I can actually live in a house again."

The jinchuuriki was speechless. Had she really been that unhappy as his friend? Was this new thing making her life better?

"We can still use letters," 'she' said, "I just can't be seen with you in public. I'm sorry, but it has to be this way."

"No."

Gaara wouldn't let this happen. He couldn't.

"You can't just leave me alone," he said, "After everything, you're going to choose the guy you have hated for years over me? I thought… I thought I was your friend."

"You are! It's just that…"

Minoru turned. Time to make the best and most painful exit possible.

"I've moved on to better people. Like I said; we can be friends still. I hope you understand."

-

**You're all alone now.**

"Stop it," Gaara muttered, "I'm not."

**You're not good enough anymore. No one likes you. You're neither demon nor human. You are an outsider.**

"I-"

**The only one left is you and me. Care for yourself and only yourself. That is how you will survive.**

Gaara clutched his head in pain. He wanted Shukaku out. He wanted to be able to dream, to escape reality. It would be unsafe for him to fight the next day he would have to dropout.

**Tomorrow, make him bleed. Make him pay for what he's done. We can make him wish he never existed, my child.**

The red-head was struggling to breath, to keep himself awake enough to stay the beast. The world was becoming blurry; the outside sounds were meshing into each other.

**My son, tomorrow we will kill Uchiha Sasuke.**

-

Shikamaru was taking his seat in the stadium. In less than half an hour, the third part of the exam would begin. But first…

"I put five hundred ryou on Uzumaki Nariko to win the first round," he said, placing his bet.

The man behind the counter laughed, as did the others betting on the match.

"This nobody has absolutely no chance of winning," the man said, "I'll be nice kid. I'll let you take back your money."

Shikamaru just walked away, making his bet final. Knowing who would win, the genius wondered what he would do with all his prize money…

-

**A/N:** About time I got this out! Ok, here's this week's excuse: I got a laptop from my writing class. So, I transferred the chapter I had onto it. But upon reading what I had, I found that it was crap. Thus, I rewrote it into this in its 13-page glory. I finished this Sunday before bringing it back to school. Unfortunately, I only can take it home on weekends. The day I got a flash disk was yesterday after school. A load of help that was… But here it is! Hope you liked it. Now, before you click the review button I just KNOW you're gonna click, I have some separate notes.

To SasuNari believers: Hahaha! Now you can't say I didn't give you what you wanted, er, sorta...

Fellow SasuNari haters: Do not despair! I have something in mind for later. I'll give you a clue… SRA… If you really are pissed at me though, I'll tell you the spoiler, I guess…

Ok, that's all I've got to say now. Except that I have a forum with a poll (I like this new feature) so I know what's good or not. It takes even less time than reviewing, and I won't know who votes so, it's not like you have to fear for your identity. The link's on my profile.

So, yeah…

-

(I made edits after a comment which I whoheartedly agree with) 11/16/07

-


	25. Cheating

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 25: Cheating**

**-**

**-**

The fact that everything was going to plan didn't surprise Orochimaru in the slightest. The only problem had been with the two jinchuuriki, but Minoru had seen to that. It was because or the youkai's mastermind that the sanin almost regretted the plan to steal his body. As soon as he transferred from Sasuke, Orochimaru would take hold in an immortal vessel and be unstoppable.

But that was later, this was now. Even if Konoha wasn't fully destroyed, the death of the Sandaime would be reward enough.

-

Kiba gingerly massaged the place on his head where his teammate had so viciously hit him.

"Sakura, what the Hell is up with you today?"

"My Sasuke-kun was stolen by that little…" she said through gritted teeth, "Tomboy."

The Inzuka didn't know any girls who weren't the fangirl type who could stand the arrogant bastard. But this realization hit Hinata like an eighteen-wheeler, if such a thing existed that is. It couldn't be true… It couldn't be possible. It had to be someone else.

"And more of all, she used him to get me to show her my Self-Summoning Jutsu!"

"So," Kiba began, "It's someone in the chunin exam… Now, I don't know her well, but if she were to go out with an arrogant bastard, I think that Tenten girl would pick the Hyuuga."

"No, the OTHER one," Sakura seethed.

"That Temari chick? I don't see what's so-"

He was silenced by another blow to the head. What an idiot.

-

Both Nariko and Sasuke were running at breakneck speeds. The two just HAD to be stopped by Kakashi who had absolutely nothing to say… for half an hour. And now, the two would be late and having an automatic surrender.

"You'd think he wanted to make up disqualified," Sasuke remarked.

"Nah," Nariko replied, "It was probably something stupid, as usual. He wouldn't train you if he wanted you out. But Hell knows how much he hates me…"

-

Kakashi walked into the stands, reading his book. Neither of his students had made it to the stadium yet. Maybe it had been because he had stalled them for a few minutes. He had seen them on their way and was about to say something but froze upon remembering DES's completion. Figuring that opening his mouth would commence giggling, something that would probably bring him pain later on, he had kept his mouth shut, only able to give a brief word 'good luck'.

"My Eternal Rival, your unyouthful tardiness has rubbed off on your students, rendering them disqualified!"

The jonin groaned. He really didn't want to deal with this…

"Let's make it a contest! Whoever has more students make it to the second round shall win the tiebreaker!"

"Statistically, that's unfair," Shikamaru said, making his way down the isle, "As only Tenten or Lee can make it to the second round."

Team 10 was in a nearby isle, and just happened to hear the loud conversation.

"Confident in your friend, huh?" Choji laughed, "Well, I wouldn't doubt it."

"It's the second round that's going to be troublesome," Shikamaru replied, "As it could be… destructive. Especially with Sakura losing a bet and teaching her that jutsu…"

"You've got to be joking," Kakashi muttered.

Shikamaru shrugged. It spelt bad news to the older ninja who knew of the Kyuubi attack, especially because they didn't know of Nariko and the Kyuubi's relationship. No, that would make things worse. Actually, the genius of Team 7 was worried that Neji would sustain major injuries. That would cause problems.

"Well, Sasuke is going to be in that round," the jonin continued, "So with operation DES complete, there shouldn't be too much trouble."

"True," he replied, having helped come up with the acronym himself, "But then there's Gaara…"

"My youthful students will be able to fare against the brutal Sand Ninja!" Gai proclaimed.

Just as the third stage was about to begin, three people entered the arena.

-

"Hey, I need to talk to you."

"Takeshi," Nariko sighed, "We're going to be late if you hold us up."

"I only need to give Sasuke here some advice before the exam," he smiled, "It won't take long."

The blonde nodded and entered the arena, seeing that Gaara was also there. She hadn't been able to find him the night before.

"Hey Gaara," she greeted.

"I don't want you near me," he rasped, "Understand?"

Nariko was shocked. He had never… Something was wrong, but she wasn't sure who was responsible for the whole mess. Whoever it was, there was going to be payback.

-

Gaara couldn't stop the twitching. It was maddening. He had never been so out of control before (not counting the Suna Incident). He saw Nariko on the way in the exam. If she came too close, he might hurt her even more. Who knew what lengths Shukaku would go to for full control.

But he would kill Uchiha Sasuke, the center of this misery. He knew that he had too. Only his blood would quench the bloodlust from the biju. Only then would life become standable again.

-

"Listen here," Takeshi threatened, "My sister has fallen in love with other bastards just like you. If you turn out to be another Minoru or Kichirou and break her heart, I will break you into tiny, bloody, fragments."

Sasuke kept his stoic face, but he knew that it wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

-

Hyuuga Neji stared stoically as his opponent approached him in the stadium. The blonde was dead last and had just barley beaten Ino in the preliminaries. Even so, Hiashi had warned him about her and to not underestimate her in the slightest.

"I hope you are prepared to lose," Neji coolly said.

"I hope you're not expecting this brutal beating you bastard," she smirked.

The crowd, who had heard the conversation from the area's acoustics, reacted in different ways. Surprisingly, most of the people, who were also fed up with the haughty clan, cheered at the blonde's comment.

"Begin," Genma said.

Hayate, the previous proctor, had been found dead a week before. It seemed that his already week lungs had failed him in his sleep. Considering his age and abilities though, none of his fellow comrades believed this, but it was what the council had decided.

Neji got into the traditional Hyuuga stance, waiting for her to make the first move.

-

Shikamaru had told her an idea that would make her victory the most humiliating for Neji. Nariko was going to go with it… with a few slight modifications of course. Putting her hands together, the blonde made the first jutsu of the match.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Twenty clones surrounded the Hyuuga, each with kunai and shuriken at the ready. Neji only smirked. True, chakra had been evenly dispersed in each, making it harder for him to distinguish which was the real one, but it didn't matter. He would strike them using his superior agility until he found the true Nariko.

-

One by one, the clones dissipated into smoke. It had been too easy. Neji zeroed in on the remaining blonde. She didn't look happy.

"Let's try this again!" she exclaimed, creating several more clones.

This time, they used projectiles. Hundreds of senbon and various other things flew through the air. Not a single one scratched him.

"Your change of tactic will not work on the Heavenly Spin Technique," he stated, "The chakra I expel will throw all attacks back at you."

As he had said, the weapons had come back and destroyed all the clones. Nariko pulled out all of the materials stuck in her skin, hissing at the numerous gashes. Once she had resealed them, he next move made Neji smirk.

-

"If it didn't work the first two times," someone in the stands said, "Why is she using clones a third time?"

"It looks like she's just using barrage after barrage of clones," Ino stated.

"That's because she is."

All eyes turned to Shikamaru. He knew what was going on. Figures.

"That's her style, as troublesome as it is," he continued, "All power and chakra, and not an ounce of strategy…"

-

Meanwhile, Gai and Kakashi were analyzing the current situation.

"What Hokage-sama thinking?" Kakashi said, "Only nine ANBU in the whole stadium."

"With Orochimaru being as large a threat as he is, they're probably stationed around the village," Gai replied.

"No, it's the fact that she knows that jutsu. And then there's Gaara. The second round could become the Konoha Incident."

The Copy-Nin glanced back at the fight. As doubtful as it looked, he was certain that Hyuuga Neji didn't stand a chance.

-

Nariko grinned in excitement. Phase one was complete. Sending her clones out, they planted Fire Seals all along the ground. All she needed was for Neji to stand on one… Maybe some taunting…

"So, why're you so pissed off all the time?" she questioned, "I mean, you wanted to beat your younger cousin into dust before."

"It's not something you'd understand."

"Oh really? Try me."

While he went through his life story, Nariko was trying to figure out how to get him to…

"Blah, blah," she said, cutting his monologue off, "I hate half this village practically, but you don't see me bitch about it and beat up younger people unless they're bratty bastards that deserve it. But you! All you do is act cold and almost kill your cousin. Have you even killed someone?"

She took his silence as a negative.

"So, basically, you say that we all have fate, and that dying is the best alternative," she continued, "Well let me tell you, I've almost died, and it's a son of a bitch."

She turned towards the crowd.

"No offense Kiba!" she yelled, "But, if you feel that way Hyuuga, I'll be glad to teach you how wrong you are!"

She charged forward, chakra coursing through her. The demonic energy burst into flames at her fingertips. Neji just got into stance, trying not to show that he was, indeed, 'pissed off'. Chakra met chakra in an explosive clash.

Both were thrown back. Neji skidded on his back, but ultimately was able to get to his feet. Nariko had landed in a small, self-made crater. The blonde crawled out of the ditch.

"Damn it, that wasn't what I was expecting," she groaned.

The Hyuuga couldn't deny that he was aching, but seeing his opponent in worse shape meant that he was succeeding. Failure was not an option. His destiny was to win and win the deal he had made with Hiashi. If he were to win, the cursed seal would be removed. But losing the match would mean that he would be condemned to disgrace among all clan members.

-

Nariko hadn't expected to be thrown back so harshly. She had several tricks up her sleeve, none of which she was willing to reveal yet. Azure eyes scanned the area, pleased with what she saw.

"I'm not through yet!" she exclaimed.

Another round of shadow clones surrounded him, making the Hyuuga smirk.

"You really think this trick will work?" he questioned as kunai bombarded him from all angles.

Neji spun, a chakra dome encompassing him, repelling the weapons and destroying the clones. Nariko gritted her teeth as she was hit, setting off a seal at the same time.

The chakra dome was filled with fire, earning gasps from the crowd. The blonde dashed forward as Neji stopped and grabbed his log hair, a wave of déjà vu sweeping over. Using the same trick she had on Ino, Nariko swung the genius by his hair, releasing him into the wall.

A silence hung over the arena before an applause broke out as her victory was declared. She walked over to her opponent as he was being taken away on a stretcher.

"Your life is better than you think. You just have to look," she said, "And you can't use your bloodline to cheat."

-

Tenten was surprisingly unhappy. Neji's defeat didn't seem as sweet as she had imagined. It was angering really. The Hyuuga was cold and uncaring, but he was still her teammate. And she didn't like seeing her teammates get hurt that badly. No, she didn't like that one bit.

But what was bothering her even more was Lee. He hadn't said a thing since they had gotten to the coliseum. He hadn't even cheered enthusiastically for Nariko.

"Lee, are you alright? You haven't said a thing."

He nodded.

"I feel fine my youthful teammate," he replied, "Just fine."

-

Shikamaru sighed as he got up from the stands.

"Well, I've got to get my prize money for winning the bet," he said, "Carrying it could be troublesome."

He had bet 500 ryou, with the odds being 20:1 meaning that he was going to rake in the dough. Maybe he could make a last minute bet…

-

Tenten stood facing Lee. Or at least who she assumed was Lee. He was acting strange. She hadn't had enough time to figure out what was going on before their match came. Kankuro had surrendered to his brother.

The green-clad Nin got into stance. Tenten leapt backwards, knowing her teammate's skill in close range combat. With his speed, she would have to stay on the arena walls, using her ranged weaponry to her advantage.

-

Takeshi smelled a snake. The scent had always bothered him, but this particular one more so. Shifting in his ANBU disguise, the youkai moved closer to the Kage's box.

-

It was infuriating. Tenten couldn't land a hit on her teammate. He just was too fast. Surprisingly though, he wasn't coming after her. She summoned her umbrellas, hoping to force him to attack. That way she would know if it was really Lee she was fighting.

-

A kick to the stomach brought her to her knees. It hurt like Hell. Tenten struggled to get off the ground, blood dripping from her mouth.

"Who are you?" she whispered, quietly enough for no one else to hear.

Before she could get an answer though, she blacked out. Maybe getting him to attack her had not been the best of ideas.

-

Sasuke and Temari were next to fight. Nariko bade him good luck, warily eyeing Lee as he returned. The usually 'youthful' ninja had not acted like himself. Luckily, she would be able to find out in the next match if he truly was who she thought he was.

The Uchiha was currently being blown back by a wave of wind. It looked painful as he slammed into a tree. She knew he was going to win, so in the meantime…

-

Gai was troubled. His students' battle seemed wrong. It was most unyouthful of Lee to do something like that. He had a sneaking suspicion that something was up. Perhaps he would checkup on his defeated students.

-

Sasuke had a good idea of what he was going to do. Using his Fuuma shuriken, he would be able to wrap wire around her fan, pulling it away from her. Then, he could use a good ole fire jutsu to finish the match up.

Starting off, he threw kunai at the sides of the stadium, just in case. Circling around the sides, he threw his weapon, wire attached. When Temari waved her fan, using a quick substitution, he seemingly teleported to the other side and stopped the fan.

The kunoichi pulled him forward, a smirk on her face. Her expression turned to one of horror as the Uchiha sent flame down the wire, threatening to singe her fan. She quickly cut the wire, saving her fan, but burning her right hand in the process.

Hefting the large piece of equipment with one hand proved to be a challenge, one that Sasuke took advantage of. Running behind her, he sent out a kick, sending her into the air, the fan falling into the dust. She was finished.

-

"Gaara, seriously, I don't care if you want me to leave you alone, it's not going to happen," she said, trying to talk to him.

He glanced over, a strange expression on his face.

"Don't worry, I'm going to kill him," he muttered, "And then everything will be fixed."

"What are you thinking?" she admonished, "You can't beat him, you'll only be killed!"

Where he got the thought that he could kill Orochimaru was beyond her. There was no way Gaara would survive that. It was insane. She went to put a hand on his shoulder, only to be stopped by a wall of sand. The shield never worked against her.

**This is Shukaku's doing.**

'What gave you that idea?' she mentally replied.

-

The four of them faced off in the battle royal everyone was waiting for. When the battle started, sand immediately lashed out at the Uchiha, barley missing. Nariko stepped forward, only to be cut off by Lee.

He sent out a punch which she dodged by a hair. The two began a taijutsu battle as Uchiha and Sabaku duked it out. Nariko summoned her zanbato and swing forward. He opponent dodged, going to trip her.

"Blade of Fire!"

Fire danced around Lee, not being able to catch up with him. Nariko calmed herself and leapt back. She needed to focus. Lee was behind her though and delivered a knee to the back.

-

Sasuke mentally cursed. He was barley avoiding the sand, even with his sharingan. Looking over, Nariko wasn't doing so well against Lee either. Sasuke decided to utilize his training and use his superior speed to his advantage.

Gaara's shield couldn't keep up as Sasuke landed blow after blow on the red-head. Perhaps he could finish this without using his newest technique.

-

Lee staggered through the hallway. He had to warn them, they had to know that it wasn't him. As soon as he had come to the arena, Lee had decided to use the bathroom. But jupon getting there, he was ambushed and taken down. The bleeding and broken bones were proof enough. He hadn't even been able to pry off the duct tape on his mouth.

They had to know before it was too late. Neither Tenten nor the battle royal finalists would stand a chance against him.

-

Nariko was thrown into the stadium wall. She knew exactly who he was now. It could only be…

-

**He's beating you. You need my help. Use your true defense.**

Gaara succumbed to his demon's commands. Bringing his sand in, the jinchuuriki surrounded himself in a sphere, closing himself off from the panting Uchiha.

-

The blonde's eyes widened in fear. If Gaara was going to… Taking action, she slammed both feet into her opponent's chest. Pushing off, she hoped to stop her friend. Before she could, her ankle was grabbed and she fell back to earth.

"Let me go!" she demanded, "You know how much trouble this will bring!"

'Lee' smirked, disregarding her comment.

"You know how much I love to see this kind of battle," he replied, "I remember you once did too."

Nariko couldn't help but watch helplessly as sand spikes almost impaled her teammate.

"You're poor Sasuke is going to be murdered," he said, "I heard Gaara tell you himself."

He meant… The Uchiha was charging at the sphere with what looked like a ball of electricity in his hand. If she didn't do something quick, at least one of them was going to die. Nariko did what Takeshi and the Kyuubi forbade her to do.

Releasing all of her weight seals, the blonde twisted free and rushed to stop the two from destroying each other.

-

Sasuke was confident in the chidori beating Gaara. It would most definitely break the sphere. The electricity pierced the sand, but he stopped half-way. His eyes widened as blood ran down his hand.

"Nariko…"

The blonde had grabbed the attack. Pulsing red chakra was surrounding both appendages, but the attack had scorched her skin, causing red blood to flow down their arms. Luckily, a good percent of the damage could be healed.

"Why did you-"

Their hands were stuck in the sand. They were sitting ducks to the fourth contestant in the arena.

-

Gaara's eyes snapped open as blue electricity rushed towards him. It stopped mere inches from his face. There were two right hands there. One was bleeding. He knew who it was. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't happening…

-

Sasuke couldn't hold her back much longer. His free arm was wrapped around Nariko's waist, trying to keep her from being sucked in by the sand.

"Let me go," she said, "I'll be fine. This way, you can escape."

"How can you know?" he questioned.

"Gaara told me himself he was going to kill you," she replied, then seeing the look on his face added, "It's not his fault. He's not in control."

The Uchiha reluctantly let go, letting the sand take her. With the free space, he was able to regroup and plan his next move.

-

The sphere soon melted back into loose sand. Gaara, however, was not all there.

"Wha- what is he?" Ino wondered aloud.

"He and Nariko are the same," Kakashi said, "Those were her exact words."

Shikamaru nodded.

"They're troublesome. We may need to evacuate the area if this becomes more intense," he stated.

"My youthful friends be careful!"

Heads turned to see the true Rock Lee barley standing, leaning on a railing.

"He ambushed me and took my place. That is a prob-"

The taijutsu specialist dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Choji, do you have any blood pills with you?" Shikamaru asked, "How troublesome…"

Looking back at the fight, Gaara was some other creature, partially made of sand. The blue veins lead him to believe that it was Shukaku who was fueling this battle. Shikamaru could only hope that the Kyuubi wouldn't be needed for this fight.

For the time being, however, he needed to find Hinata.

-

Sasuke was weakening. He had used a good portion of chakra to use the chidori, along with his continual use of the sharingan. On top of that, he was facing certain death with both Lee and Gaara against him at once.

As if answering his call for help, feathers fell from the sky, halting all action for the moment.

-

The bleeding had stopped. She thanked her mother for that. But her hands still hurt like Hell, but it was necessary to keep Gaara alive. The sand was coddling her, doing everything it could to keep her safe.

"Gaara, why are you letting him take over?" she questioned.

"I will kill him," he rasped, "He is the cause for this pain in my chest. He took away my only friend."

"What are you talking about?" she began, "I'm your friend and always will be. It was you I thought wanted me gone. Like that day you asked me out, I saw you with someone else."

"That never happened. You were gone when I got there."

The pieces were coming together now. It had been a set up the whole time to pull them apart. Why would anyone do that? She turned to the impersonator. Someone was going to die; it just wasn't going to be Sasuke.

-

Minoru was not pleased when both jinchuuriki began to focus on him instead. But right on cue, feathers began to fall. The plan was about to begin. How fun.

-

-

**A/N:** So, I finally got enough inspiration to finish this. Battle scenes are not my forte. As you can tell from previous chapters, I cheat and use other stuff as filler. Well, next chapter will finish the chunin exams. I wanted to finish it this chapter, but it's been over two weeks, so I figured I might as well finish this part up and post it.

Another thing is, I barley got any reviews last chapter. Now, I can understand if you guys are mad at me, but please say so. I really mean it. That way, I know what's good or not. Seriously, I even accept flames.

Um, yeah… Another thing is, I changed parts of the last chapter. Not enough to reread it though. Just enough so that I won't be disgusted with myself.

One last note before I leave you alone (besides review!). I may not update as much as I am currently banned from watching anime online. That means I only get to watch dubs. The pain… The Naruto dubs are still in the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.

So… **REVIEW!**


	26. Tag Team

Nariko

**Nariko**

-

**Chapter 26: Tag Team**

-

**Disclaimer:** All I can say is, I'm sorry. I forgot.

-

-

"Feathers?" Nariko asked, "Hey, I'm feeling sleepy…"

**Kit. It's a genjutsu.**

"Ha, I still can't move my arms…"

And she proceeded to pass out in the sand. Sasuke wasn't sure what to do. Nariko was in safe hands, but she needed to be woken up. But there was still a chance that Gaara wanted to murder him. Still, there was a lower chance of him being killed by the red-head than the berserk Rock Lee.

-

Takeshi felt the chakra pulse and jumped to the Kage box. Just as he did, some sort of genjutsu was cast over the arena and the two ninja guarding the Kazekage released smoke bombs. Still in disguise, the youkai proceeded to pursue the two, now moving, kage. He smelt a battle coming on, and he wondered how much fight Sarutobi still had in him.

-

Minoru could only grin as feathers fell from the sky. The plan had started, and the distraction would be enough for him to get to the real action. However, when both pawns in Orochimaru's plan turned their gaze unto him, he was slightly uneasy. But no matter, he could deal with two demon containers easily. Stopping Gaara would be easy, but Nariko on the other hand, would be more of a problem as she worked collaboratively with the Kyuubi. Both needed to be kept alive, or else Master Madara's plans would be ruined. Ah, the naivety of mortals like Orochimaru… Minoru would rather be sent to Hell than let that human take hold of his body.

He dodged as a wave of sand crashed past. He released his henge, and began to run out of the coliseum. There were other places he was needed. The youkai didn't even need to glance back to know that the sanin had already trapped the Sandaime Hokage where the old man would die. And so the invasion had begun…

-

"How troublesome," Shikamaru groaned.

As Hinata had been healing Lee so he could sustain life on his own, there had been an explosion near the Kage Box, and when something like that happened, it never was for a good reason. And now Konoha was under attack.

"Will Lee be alright?" he asked.

"Yes, but he's in no condition to fight," Hinata replied, "We need to get him somewhere safe."

Shikamaru nodded.

"I think Gai went to the room where the beaten combatants are. We should take him there."

The two carefully lifted Lee and proceeded to make it to the infirmary. As Shikamaru carried the youthful boy, Hinata beat down any opposition with the gentle fist. Eventually, the two reached their destination, but froze upon seeing Kankuro fleeing with his sister over his shoulder. Before he could get much further, he was halted by Shikamaru's shadow.

"Now, why don't you tell us what's going on," he sighed.

"Look, I just came to get my sister. I don't know what you-" Kankuro began before being stared down by angry byakugan.

"You're lying," she stated, "I can tell; your heart is racing."

The puppeteer knew that he was in a losing battle. He was immobile and his village was invading; this was a bad position. That weirdo back there would get past his smoke and pepper bombs in only moments. He didn't even want to go along with the plan anymore anyway. He would rather risk his father's wrath than the death of him and his siblings.

"It's an invasion of both the Sound and Sand villages. My father and Orochimaru had a deal where our village would receive more money to fund our military. But I don't want any part of it. Everything's gone south."

Hinata settled into stance, signifying that he should keep going.

"The plan is to destroy Konoha and kill the Hokage," Kankuro confessed, "Gaara and Nariko were unknowingly part of the plan, as a distraction, but… The real threats are those Sound ninja back in the preliminaries."

"I understand," Shikamaru replied, "Minoru and Tomiko are to destroy the village while their Miko teammate will be able to kill either jinchuuriki if they get in the way."

The puppeteer nodded.

"Now I need to leave so after this is over, perhaps Temari and I can come back and beg for forgiveness from the Leaf."

"Or," Shikamaru began, "You two can help right now."

"And how do we do that?"

The genius held up a small vial with white explosive powder in it.

"I just need your help to get there."

-

Nariko was awoken by Sasuke who, soon after, was thrown back by a wall of sand. Her arms still hurt, but she would be able to move them soon enough. It seemed that Konoha was being attacked by both the Sand and Sound villages. She was pretty sure that Gaara had no idea what was going on, not that he would care, being in the state that he was.

"Gaara," she began, "We need to follow Minoru."

"I- I can't," he growled, "I'm not-"

"Tell Shukaku that he'll get his chance to fight," she said, "And that this time it's one of Nibi's bastard kittens."

The blonde inwardly sighed as Gaara seemed to gain more control over himself. She rushed over to Sasuke and helped him up. They would need all the help they could get to win this battle. And where there was Minoru, Tomiko was probably going to fight as well. If only Shikamaru and Takeshi were there and it was over in Iwa. Now that'd be nostalgic.

-

Sarutobi was worried. He would have to fight Orochimaru, and although he denied it, he was in fact very old. He knew his student well enough to know that the sanin came to kill him and destroy Konoha. Orochimaru was just that kind of person.

"So Sarutobi-sensei, shall we begin?"

The Sandaime was roped in, and if he wanted to prevent Konoha from being completely destroyed, he would have to fight to the death.

"Hold on a second."

The two turned to see that there was a third person in the enclosure. Orochimaru was displeased. This guy was an ANBU, not nearly on his level, but enough so that it would be more problematic.

"How did you get in?" the sanin demanded.

"I followed you," he shrugged, "Your servants over in the corners really should be more observant."

Orochimaru only chuckled at this comment.

"No matter. I will dispose of you soon enough."

"Maybe," the ANBU replied, "But you can't expect me to die from old age. Bring it on."

He didn't like the arrogance in his tone. Not only did Orochimaru want to be the only one who could act the most superior (because, of course, he was) but it was unlike an ANBU to talk in such a way, let a lone talk at all. But no matter; he could easily kill them both by summoning the past kage of Konoha. And he thought it couldn't get any more fun.

-

There were giant snakes all around Konoha, summons of Orochimaru. And although Jiraiya was a powerful guy, there was only so much he could do at one time. When two young genin and two sand ninja converged on the same rooftop, he wondered why shinobi as young as they were fighting against the Kazekage's children, chunin level ninja. What was shocking was the fact that they were working together. Were there even more traitors within Konoha? It seemed to be Nara's kid and… a Hyuuga?

The four kept together, heading towards two colossal pythons. The Hyuuga girl struck down several enemies with the Heavenly Spin Technique, and the two sand ninja finished them off. Meanwhile, the Nara was running to the monster, explosive tags in hand. The tags, connected with wire and kunai were thrown, and with the help of the Suna puppeteer, they wrapped around the two snakes, and ultimately destroying them.

So it was Suna who had the traitors. If that was the case, perhaps there would be more comrades to the Leaf Village. Jiraiya's only non-immediate problem concerning the invasion though, was how his former sensei was faring.

-

Sasuke felt like sighing in frustration. The three had been pursuing Minoru when they were being followed by eight Sound Ninja. Well, he might as well…

"Go ahead," the Uchiha said, "I'll stop them. You two go ahead."

"Sasuke," Nariko began, but was cut off.

"Go."

The blonde understood and she and Gaara once again began their pursuit. The Uchiha turned and began setting traps for his foes' arrival. He had an array of items including wire triggered explosives and the element of surprise. He lied in waiting, hoping for the best for both his teammates. Nariko was going to fight a youkai, and Shikamaru, wherever he may be, was still wounded from his battle in the preliminaries.

The Sound Ninja ran forth, triggering his first trap. As expected, they avoided it, only to be met with an array of shuriken. To the Uchiha's dismay, they remained unscathed. Using the wire threaded around the area, he sent flames racing down towards his enemies. Even if they did evade it, he had bought Nariko a little more time to reach the battle zone.

-

"Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!"

Orochimaru didn't even have to move as it was his clone that had taken the hit. So far, his former sensei and the ANBU had been less than impressive. It seemed that he wouldn't even need to turn the Sandaime's former sensei against him. The ANBU rushed him, believing that a simple kunai would land a hit.

In an attempt to make the battle more interesting, Orochimaru lashed out his tongue, immobilizing the shinobi in its salivating grasp. Whoever this person was, getting past the barrier must have been a fluke.

"Oh gross!" the ANBU exclaimed, "If you're trying to be scary, it's not working. This is just disgusting-"

The grip around the ANBU became tighter. Sarutobi, strangely, was doing absolutely nothing whatsoever. The old man seemed bent over, as if already winded. How old age takes its toll…

"Let me go," the ANBU said.

"You're in no position to make requests."

"Weird," he replied, "I didn't know you could talk with your tongue sticking out. Then again, I never imagined anyone wanting to elongate their tongue five-times their body length…"

Fed up with the taunting, Orochimaru planned on finishing this brat off. But his tongue was getting dry, hot and- on fire! The sanin cursed for being led into such a trap as the offender was let go. The ANBU jumped back to regroup with Sarutobi.

That was the last straw. Orochimaru was willing to toy with his prey, allowing them more time to wallow in pain, but now he realized it would be best to destroy them as soon as possible.

-

Minoru leaned against a tree, waiting for them to arrive. Tomiko was standing beside him, though not nearly as confident. She was weak and that was her own fault. And now it was her duty to follow what he, her superior, ordered. Nariko and Half-Gaara leapt to a nearby branch. This was not a situation where surprise would aid anyone. It was a head-on battle of youkai.

"My dear, I'm glad you could make it," Minoru smiled.

Before the blonde could make a reply, Gaara rushed forward to attack. More than anxious to kill and drink the blood of his enemies, Gaara went straight for the kill, forgetting all strategy. Figuring that there was no stopping his guerilla technique, Nariko joined in on the charge. The two rushed the weaker of the two, Tomiko.

Minoru stood by as his sister barely dodged projectiles, sand, and fire. He turned. There was a village he needed to destroy. The youkai sidestepped and arm of sand and proceeded to burn the sand appendage in half.

"Filthy human," he grimaced, "You are no match for me."

At this point, Gaara had fully transformed into his sand-tanuki form and let primal instinct rush through his entirety. Minoru smirked. Perhaps against a human this would work, as levels of brute strength couldn't possibly compare, but he was no human.

Yellow eyes connected with blue. The blonde rushed to stop him, but Tomiko got in the way. Minoru made a graceful flip over his attacker and brought dark fire to his fingertips. His claws easily peeled back the sand armor at its weak point: the tail. The rest of the defense soon fell as well.

Nariko forced Tomiko out of the way. The sand couldn't keep up with Minoru's strikes and Gaara was quickly weakening. She didn't want to do this, but it had to be done. If they were to win this fight, Shukaku needed to be in control.

-

Orochimaru made the handseals to resurrect the former kage. The sanin had expected his former sensei to perform a ranged attack and for the ANBU to attempt rushing him once again, but instead they did nothing. It seemed that Sarutobi was following the ANBU's lead. Said masked man was mysterious indeed, making it into the barrier and then conjuring a fire without handseals. He had seen this happen in two individuals: the Kyuubi brat and some random ninja he had met in the Forest of Death.

"Who are you?" the sanin demanded, "You're no ANBU."

"No, you don't say!" he replied.

Two wooden coffins rose from the tile roof. Orochimaru grinned maniacally as the two former kage saw the light of day for the first time in half a century. Both the Shodai and Nidaime stood motionless as Orochimaru placed them under his control.

"Interesting," the ANBU said.

"Don't underestimate this jutsu," Sarutobi replied, "They are just as powerful dead as they were when alive."

The ANBU walked towards the kage. He tilted his head side to side, as if not believing in their existence. He outstretched an arm, as if poking the shodai's forehead was the only way to verify this as reality. The ANBU didn't fight back as he was lifted by the collar.

"Hey," he greeted, "Been a long time, eh?"

"All their power is under my control," Orochimaru stated, "They are nothing but empty shells."

"In that case," the ANBU replied, "I won't feel bad for beating them to a pulp. And thank _you_ Orochimaru, for providing such an unhappy reunion."

Using his free hand, he removed the terracotta mask. Orochimaru frowned upon seeing those familiar violet eyes.

"Yes, it's me again!" Takeshi exclaimed, "You left without saying goodbye last time and it made me very sad."

The red-head made the appropriate expression. Orochimaru noticed that Sarutobi was absolutely calm. Could this goofball be that powerful? If so, he would make use of the two resurrections and give the sandaime something to worry about.

-

Minoru had been caught off guard when the blonde had deliberately missed him and knocked out her friend and sent him off the tree branch.

"Darling, I'm glad you're on my si-"

He stopped mid-sentence as there was an explosion of sand behind him. Nariko had jumped back and was running through a series of hand signs. Being offered a seat of power by Master Madara after his mother's capture was a pleasant surprise. Knowing that a miko would be working for him was a pleasant surprise. Nariko summoning Kyuubi no Kitsune did not fit into this category.

The red haired woman was staring him down with ruby-red eyes. Although he could sense that she didn't have all her power, Minoru knew it was enough to leave him a burnt writhing heap for at least two weeks.

"Tomiko," he ordered, "Shift."

The brunette fearfully shook her head

"Do it!" he yelled, "Or you too shall share a fate with our mother."

"You are a fool," the Kyuubi said, "No mortal can help your anarchist movements."

"I choose my allies well Kyuubi-sama," Minoru replied.

"You're terrible at choosing enemies," Nariko stated, pointing to the towering tanuki behind him.

Minoru shook his head as he and his sister shifted into their full demonic form, matching Shukaku in size.

"I always knew black cats were bad luck," Nariko sighed, "Ready Kaa-san?"

And a battle even more impressive than the one back at the stadium began.

-

Takeshi could tell that Sarutobi wasn't as resilient as he had been in his younger days. The old man was barely holding his own against Orochimaru. The youkai couldn't say he was doing much better, dodging rabid trees and waves of water. Those two kids certainly maintained their strength after he left, that was for sure.

Nothing effected the 'deadlings' (as he currently liked to call them) and there was only one other course of action. Letting the Nidaime draw close, Takeshi let demonic chakra mix with the green glow around his hand and thrust the appendage into his opponent's torso. The technique let him tamper with the insides of an individual without incision. The only drawback was that the target had a high risk of dieing from the chakra.

He reached around in his old friend and was surprised to find the body completely empty aside from a single kunai. Orochimaru had been serious about the whole 'empty shell' thing after all.

Removing said kunai, the body disintegrated into dust which blanketed the poor sacrifice. This man had a jutsu to resurrect the dead which meant that it could be learned. If he could just learn how to do this then…

A soft smile appeared on his face as he removed the kunai from the shodai. There was hope for them after all.

-

Sasuke finished bandaging his wounds. It hadn't been an easy fight, but to his luck, several of them had fled. He wanted to help Nariko, but at this point, he'd just be a hindrance in the state he was in. The ground shook and he could hear trees falling. He could see several large figures through the canopy and the chakra they were emitting gave him goose bumps.

"Nariko, please be alright," he said.

"Do not worry. He will not even attempt to kill her."

Sasuke jumped to fight Akira but stumbled slightly because of his wounded leg. Her bow was in her hand but she made no signs of attacking.

"My arrows have proven you true," she stated, "I have no quarrel with you."

The Uchiha refused to relax, but decided to listen to what she had to say.

"Orochimaru-sama works for something greater than most can comprehend," she continued, "If destiny wills you to know, you will understand."

Sasuke decided to accept this as he was in no shape to fight. The girl offered him a hand.

"There is a battle of demonic energy commencing," she said, "It would be best if we left."

Although he was an Uchiha, he couldn't argue with that logic.

-

He hadn't expected it to be easy and Enma, Sartobi's summon, had made matters more difficult. Kusanagi had aided him in inflicting several wounds to the sandaime. This partial victory was short-lived as Orochimaru felt the jutsu being dispelled. Both former kage had been eliminated and the red-head was coming closer. In the forest of death, the face of the mysterious man seemed familiar, yet not. Now the same nagging feeling had returned.

"Not even your friend can save you now," Orochimaru stated, hoping to get some answers.

"Are you sure?"

Orochimaru turned to avoid the attack but still felt a sharp pain in his left arm. To his horror, it wouldn't move.

"That's the beauty of chakra scalpels," Takeshi commented, "They reach pretty darn far."

Before the sanin could gain any distance, he was grabbed from behind by a clone. How could he have been distracted as to not notice? His kusanagi was close enough to inflict serious damage on the attacker.

"You're a bad man, from what I hear," the red-head stated, "I'll let you live under one condition."

Red and green glow encompassed his hand and he began to dig around the man's arm, detaching muscle and tendons. With the proper medic, he could just get 'new' arms. This made things more… dramatic. However, while performing said surgery, he was open for any attack that may come at him, such as a glowing sword which pierced his heart.

The body fell and Orochimaru was set free as soon as the shadow clone poofed into nonexistence. He hadn't been able to kill his former sensei, but at least one threat had been taken care of.

-

"How troublesome…"

Due to previous injuries, Shikamaru had been in bad shape originally. The current invasion had made things worse. Hinata was healing him as best as she could, but there was no way he would be back in the battle for a while.

"Hinata," Shikamaru said, "You're needed back out there."

She shook her head.

"You'll be a sitting duck," she replied, "I won't leave you."

"Troublesome, I know," he said, "But there are people who need your attention more than me. Go."

The Hyuuga sighed before consenting. Shikamaru leaned against the stone of the cave he was in. Soon after, a gust of air blew past, destroying the trees in its path. Something large and black darted by the mouth of the cave in the same direction and he couldn't help but notice the smell of burning wood. Of all the places…

-

So far, it was a stand still. Without humans to bind them down, Minoru and Tomiko were definitely powerful, but both Shukaku and the Kyuubi had, by far, more battle experience.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty…" Shukaku taunted, clearly enjoying the battle.

The two biju were focusing their attention on Minoru, the real threat. Shukaku shot several bullets of air, pushing the giant black cat back. He retaliated with black fire which was soon smothered by the Kyuubi's red flames.

Minoru was running out of options. He hadn't known that the Kyuubi could be summoned, and he had expected her working collaboratively with Shukaku even less. His patience was drawing to a close.

"Brother," Tomiko said, "Let's just cut our losses and leave while we can. This is a losing fight."

"No!" he yelled, lashing out at his only ally, "Coward! You always back out of a fight."

"Yes, I know."

Tomiko began to shift back into her human form, leaving Minoru alone. Shukaku let out a crazed laugh.

"If I hadn't been trapped for so long, this may not be any fun!"

The Kyuubi pounced and slashed Minoru on the side, dark blood sticking to his fur and dripping through the treetops. Raging fire escaped her mouth

"Insolent child," she said as he burned, "You do not understand the difference between bravery and stupidity."

Before shifting back into human form he replied, "You haven't seen the last of me, count on it."

Nariko didn't understand. Why did her mother let him off so easy? He deserved so much more than that. Shukaku's laughter cut off her thoughts. Oh… She'd have to _force_ him to give Gaara back control. That was one detail she had overlooked.

-

Takeshi slowly got back up, positive that Orochimaru was gone. It would be best if the man thought he was dead, for now. Several ANBU had come to help the Hokage who had been badly, but not mortally, wounded. Closing his eyes, the youkai sensed that Tomiko and Minoru had left the area. And with Orochimaru fleeing, most of the fighting had dwindled down. Now his biggest worry was all the questions he would have to face within the next couple of days.

-

Nariko woke to find herself in the hospital. Her fight against Shukaku had taken most of her chakra and a fair portion of the Kyuubi's. She sighed, taking in the sweet smell of laundry soap. Hinata had come by to tell her that no one they knew had been killed before rushing off to take care of another wounded ninja.

Apparently Lee wasn't doing too well. Minoru had poisoned him, which had left his nervous system heavily damaged. The blonde was feeling fine after getting a full day's rest, but the rest of her friends were in need of repair, as was the village.

A knock came at the door and Takeshi entered.

"I need to tell you some things," he confessed, "Both of you."

-

Jiraiya didn't expect the meeting at the Hokage Tower to go smoothly. After his sensei's recent fight against Orochimaru, it was obvious that the old man was looking to name a new Hokage. The sanin entered the meeting room and stood before three people. Sarutobi gestured for him to sit. The white-haired man couldn't help but feel uneasy with both Homura and Koharu giving him stoic looks.

"As you know," Sarutobi began, "The village needs a new Hokage, someone who is strong enough to repel threats like Orochimaru. My first choice would be to appoint you, Jiraiya."

"If I refuse, which is most likely my answer," the sanin replied, "Who is your second choice?"

As if on cue, the door opened and the second nominee entered.

"Sorry I'm late," Takeshi said, "Did I miss anything important?"

-

**A/N:** I don't know how to say this but… sorry? To tell you the truth, I forgot all about fanfiction, with me writing my own original fiction and all. I think this chapter sucks, and I blame summer heat and humidity. The fighting parts seem wrong, but at least I got the general gist across. Also, I feel uneasy making an OC important. Ah well, I plan to update soon and introduce Tsunade as an extended apology, but that's kinda what I said last chapter… I think.


	27. We Don't Have To Get Along To Live

Nariko

**Nariko**

-

**Chapter 27: We Don't Have To Get Along To Live**

-

**Disclaimer:** I wish I were funny, but we all have to be disappointed sometimes…

-

-

"Hell no," Takeshi replied, "And that's my final answer."

"Who is this?" Jiraiya asked.

"Uh, well…" Takeshi began, unsure of their reactions, "Koharu and Homura'd remember me from their childhood. I was one of Konoha's first medics, although, I looked a lot older then and…"

He paused, unsure if he should go on. He was a youkai, descendant of the Kyuubi who attacked the village. That wouldn't go over well. He could tell that realization was dawning on the council members, but Jiraiya was still utterly confused.

"Explain this to me again," the sanin said, "You're some eighty-year-old medic who has suddenly returned to Konoha?"

"Yes, Takeshi, when did you return to the village?" Homura asked.

"'bout five or six years ago."

"Why did you not alert the council?" Homura questioned.

"Because you've made yourself enemies of my mother and sister. Besides, it's not like I was in hiding. I showed up at the chunin exam, fought and disgraced the Hyuuga clan head… And you call yourselves ninja," he replied.

The councilman seemed to hesitate in his next question, unsure if the former ninja could still be trusted. Takeshi sighed. He was afraid this was going to happen: distrust, anger, bounties, pitchforks…

"Well Takeshi-san," Koharu began, speaking for the first time, "Whatever your reasons, I can easily say that your returned presence in the village is much appreciated."

Jiraiya was surprised. Koharu was known as a harsh by-the-book woman. And now she was smiling for the first time in his lifetime. Looking over, he could see that the red-head was tensing up, incessantly tapping his foot, and the old woman hadn't taken her eyes off him since he had arrived. A shudder went down the sanin's spine.

"Nonetheless, the village needs a new kage," Sarutobi interjected, "If neither of you are willing to take the job, then who will?"

"What about Tsunade?" Jiraiya offered, "The village could use her medical expertise, kage or not."

The red-head stopped his tapping and became serious.

"Wait, who?"

Sarutobi shook his head.

"She's not the one you're thinking of. Tsunade is one of my former students, the Shodai's granddaughter."

"Oh."

"It will be hard to convince her to come back," Homura said, "And her reputation as an alcoholic and gambler could hurt the village."

"It's worth a try," Jiraiya stated, "And with Orochimaru as an enemy, we need all the help we can get."

-

Kabuto frowned. He wasn't nearly skilled enough to repair his master's arms. Even if he were to remove the dysfunctional appendages, the nerves in the shoulders were fried as well. The medic who had done this clearly had skill. That man was dead now, leaving only one known option. The only question would be if she would help.

-

Nariko walked out of the hospital, looking at the destruction. Sooner or later, she'd have to help rebuild the village for those who hated her. Because he wasn't there, she decided to say it for Shikamaru.

"Troublesome…"

Gaara, the only one who wasn't in the hospital, was held captive for being on the enemy's side. He'd be there for a week or so before the village realized that his control of sand could greatly aid in repairing stone walls (as the base ingredient in mortar was sand).

Takeshi had said that he was going to the Hokage Tower for some meeting he didn't want to go to. She figured that she'd meet up with him and check to see how the sandaime was doing. The blonde wasn't much for listening to life stories, but as for her brother… she really felt sorry for him. He didn't mean for her to, just so she would know, but…

Said red-head gave her a wave from across the street. Nariko ran to greet him but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the person standing next to him.

"You!" she said, pointing an accusatory finger, "Why do you keep appearing wherever I am?"

Jiraiya grudgingly looked at the blonde. He didn't want to deal with this at the moment. He had a teammate to track down.

"I don't do it on purpose," the sanin replied.

"I sure hope not."

"Am I missing something here?" Takeshi asked.

"Ero-jii just annoys me is all," Nariko replied.

"_I_ annoy _you_?"

Takeshi backed into the Hokage Tower. Nariko had disobeyed him and released all her weight seals at once (worst of all it was to save an Uchiha) and he had no reason to like Jiraiya. Although he wasn't going, Takeshi was sure it was going to be a _very_ interesting mission to find the next Hokage…

-

Nariko resisted the urge to hit her head against something hard. She had been assigned to go on a mission with Ero-jii to find some old lady to become Hokage.

"You'll be fine," Shikamaru stated.

"I know Takeshi had something to do with this."

"I have to help rebuild the city wall," he replied, "Be grateful."

"I mean, I guess he's not an awful guy," she said, "But it's still…"

"Troublesome?"

The blonde nodded. Shikamaru had been released from the hospital a day after she had, thanks to Takeshi (who still avoided working at the hospital). Leave it to your best friend to make you feel bad for complaining.

"Oh, guess what," Nariko began, "In that battle against Minoru and Tomiko, we destroyed our cave-house enough that I have to find a new home. Sasuke offered me an empty house in the Uchiha compound, but that's kind of weird, y'know?"

Shikamaru arched a brow.

"I never thought Sasuke would ask you out."

"To tell you the truth," she replied, "I didn't even know he didn't hate me. But that's what happened with Kichirou…"

"That ended-"

"Badly, I know."

Shikamaru just shrugged and watched the clouds with his friend. The lazy genius retrieved the mostly full vial of explosive powder from him pocket and handed to the blonde. Although stealing had always been 'a thing we do', Nariko still gave him a dirty look.

"This is potent stuff."

"At least you know it works," Shikamaru stated, "You might need it later."

He sighed before sitting up and looking her in the eye.

"Apparently, I'm a suspected conspirator in the invasion."

"What?!" she exclaimed, "How could they-"

"It'll work out in the end," he replied, "On the final round of the chunin exam, I made a bet that there wouldn't be a final winner. Sore losers are troublesome."

Nariko nodded. The villagers always made life more difficult. She stood and stretched. It was time for her to head out on her mission.

"Don't worry. If they lock you up we can have a jail-break extravaganza."

The blonde gave a wave to her friend before heading to the village gates.

-

"So, what's this lady look like?"

The two had been walking for at least an hour and Nariko could only talk to the Kyuubi for so long. With the two of them always being together, and with the ability to hear each other's thoughts, there was little left to talk about.

Jiraiya handed the blonde the picture of Tsunade. The man didn't seem like the quiet type, but he hadn't uttered a single word the whole trip. Either it was her, or this lady they were looking for was a total witch. Or both. That would suck.

"You smell nervous," Nariko said, "I'm not going to bite you or anything."

The sanin gave her a look.

"Damn, that was a really awkward thing for me to say," she muttered.

He was probably wary because of the Kyuubi. The two certainly had caused enough damage to the surrounding forest; burning trees, killing defenseless woodland creatures… Stuff like that.

"You're definitely not the sharpest kunai in the holster, that's for sure…"

"That's what she said," the blonde coughed before looking around innocently.

**I don't understand why children find this humorous…**

"I've heard better," he replied.

"It's hard to come up with better jokes when nobody's saying anything!"

"Maybe I just don't want to talk to you."

"But I'm boooooooooooooored… It's been an hour," she whined.

An idea dawned on the blonde. If this guy was a perv, then she'd tell him the greatest joke she had ever heard.

**Don't do it kit.**

Yes… The _greatest_ joke ever…

-

Sasuke kept a stoic expression, even if he was pissed off that no one had told him that Nariko had left on a mission. Yesterday. She hadn't even said goodbye or anything. Maybe he was being too obsessive; Shikamaru had said that it was assigned by the Hokage himself.

The Uchiha lifted a chunk of stone and placed it where a wall once was. The piece, of course, didn't stay in place. How were they supposed to fix the wall without any mortar? Determined to waste his time on something possibly productive, he headed into Konoha. The stone buildings weren't too damaged, but once again, if there was no paste, nothing would stay upright.

The sound of hammers assaulted his ears. People were futilely trying to piece together splinters of wood and it annoyed him to no end. Unfortunately, the usual ninja rooftop-route was destroyed, so the road he took. It seemed like a long day of manual labor ahead when something caught his eye. That streak of green could only be Maito Gai, and he was carrying something, rather someone.

-

The fight against the two Akatsuki members could've gone better. Kakashi was down for the count and Asuma and Kurenai weren't in good shape either, but conscious. Out of the four of them, Gai had been the only one to be able to walk out of the fight. Both Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi were not to be trifled with. They had briefly mentioned retrieving something for Akatsuki, but he hadn't heard what exactly.

"What happened?"

Gai turned to see Sasuke running alongside him. If the young Uchiha found out that his brother had made an appearance…

'Play it cool,' Gai thought.

"Kakashi, ah, won my newest challenge to see who could fall asleep first."

"Why would he-"

"It is lazy un-youthful ways!" Gai proclaimed.

Sasuke seemed to buy this, or didn't have time to reply as the two ran out of non-destroyed buildings and Konoha's Green Beast took this chance to hightail it out of there. The Uchiha stared at the trail of dust. How did he know such weird people again?

The dust trail that was Gai was still in sight and surprisingly made a turn for the hospital. Wait a second…

-

Jiraiya was in shock. It was probably one of the dirtiest things he had ever heard a girl say, and she wasn't even finished yet. And although that was a bad thing (considering the kind of girls he gravitated towards) he was certain that there wouldn't be two Tsunade-like females against him.

"-And then she said-"

The blonde stopped mid-sentence and made an angry expression. He was certain he didn't do anything wrong. The blonde squeezed her eyes shut as she put her palms against her ears and began chanting to herself. He knew she was a strange one but…

"I'm fine now," Nariko sighed, "Just uh… getting over a bad memory?"

He didn't want to pursue the subject any further.

"I'm going to look around for any leads," Jiraiya said, "Just stay out of trouble."

Nariko shrugged. They were in some random town. It wasn't like anyone would remember them or care enough to place a bounty on anyone. The blonde's stomach growled. Maybe she could behave just for a little while…

'Where should we go first kaa-san?'

**I told you not to tell that 'joke'.**

'I know,' Nariko mentally replied, 'Especially when you went into how you met your mate.'

**One story to match another.**

'You've got a point…'

Nariko handed the money to a street vendor in return for a few sticks of dango. She munched while continuing her mental conversation with the kyuubi.

'I don't know _why_ I had to come though. You know what happens when I get bored.'

**Many people know what happens when you're bored.**

'You say it as if it's terrible.'

A reply was unneeded. Nariko, totally uninterested in loitering around the small town for the rest of the day, headed back to the inn they were staying in to take a real shower for once.

-

"He's in mental shock for who knows how long," she began, "Even when the jutsu is over, he could still sustain mental paralysis."

Hinata had been working at the hospital due to the amount of ninja in need of medical attention. That was how she noticed that the sensei of two of her best friends was being checked in. She had run a quick diagnostic on the incapacitated jonin. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was bad.

"What were they after?"

Gai shook his head.

"I can't say for certain. Maybe Asuma or Kurenai would know."

The Hyuuga girl nodded. Whoever the Akatsuki was, they wouldn't send such strong members for something trivial. But what exactly could it be?

-

Sasuke wasn't exactly sure where he was going, but he knew he had to move fast. He had closely tailed Gai to the hospital, and then Hinata. Not only was his brother nearby, the man he truly desired to destroy, but they were after 'a demon'. There was only one person he knew who they would be after (the thought that it could have been Gaara, or that Takeshi wasn't human had never crossed his mind). He cared about Nariko, and he'd be damned if not only his chance for revenge slipped away, but that she would be killed. Just like the rest of his family.

-

Nariko breathed in the hot steam of the shower. Living in a cave (which, as she mentioned to Shikamaru, was destroyed) most of her life, the blonde was not accustomed to showers. Usually, she would sneak into the bath houses at night for free or just use the ice cold water near the cave (which also had been relatively destroyed).

There was a knock at the door. Nariko shrugged and ignored it. If Ero-jii had just realized she had the key, that was his problem. She was going to wash off all the soap and put on some clothes before showing him that she had left the room unlocked (in case such a thing happened). The door was opened and someone ran in. Even though the smell of steam and soap masked his scent, the blonde knew that it wasn't the sanin who had entered the room.

-

Eight. How could such a small town have eight inns? Sasuke approached the desk of inn number eight.

"Excuse me," he began, "I'm looking for a man with white spiky hair with a girl with bright yellow hair."

The reception lady nodded and began looking through one of many clipboards. Sasuke was getting impatient as the woman slowly searched the lists. How could that possibly show what the visitors looked like?

"Oh yes," the lady began (slowly), "Room 24- My, kids these days, taking off without a word. How rude…"

Sasuke ran up the flight of stairs and quickly found room 24. He knocked, but when no one replied, he decided to enter by all means necessary. A simple turn of the door knob was all that was needed. Had his brother already been there? Sasuke ran in the room and looked around. No sign of a struggle, but the bathroom door was closed.

Deciding to take his chances, the Uchiha opened the door…

-

Targets were usually easy to track, but for some reason, the blonde jinchuuriki still evaded them.

"How can such a small town have eight inns?" Kisame questioned.

"Does it matter? She's not at any of them."

Itachi wasn't exactly the most patient man one could meet. It was a family trait. Word of their appearance couldn't have spread fast enough for interference, could it? He and Kisame had knocked those three unconscious, those who he had foolishly given a clue about their task.

The girl obviously was tricky. Not only had she changed location, but she had masked her scent within the aromatic town. She eventually would reunite with Jiraiya in which the two Akatsuki members would be able to find their target.

Something caught Itachi's attention. A woman with dark Uchiha hair and eyes.

'Aunt Noriko?' he thought, 'I distinctly remember slitting her open and letting the entrails pile at my feet. How is she alive?'

Or could it be…

-

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," Nariko sighed while drying off her hair.

Sasuke waited in the other room. The blonde had been drying off from her shower when he had thrown open the door.

"You shouldn't leave the door unlocked," he replied.

She walked out of the bathroom fully clothed, much to his relief. Sasuke's gaze lifted from the floor when she laughed.

"It's not like I was naked or anything," Nariko said, "And even then, no need to pretend I'm not in front of you talking."

"You think that's what's bothering me?" Sasuke questioned.

"I dunno," she admitted, "You're hard to read."

"My brother, for some reason, is after you."

"Wait, is this the one you want to kill?" Nariko asked.

"No, the one who buys ice cream for orphans and sings karaoke on Thursdays," he retorted.

"You know, sometimes sarcastic humor can hurt people's feelings."

Sasuke shook his head. He was unsure of what to do. He could either make sure Nariko was never found, or he could wait for his brother to arrive and get his revenge.

"Thanks for the warning," Nariko began, "But I'm not one to run from a fight."

Itachi had taken out the entire Uchiha clan without a hitch. And through the years the man could have only gotten stronger. Sasuke knew he too had improved, but not to that degree… What was he thinking? He could definitely take on Itachi! The only problem was Nariko. Even if she was strong, she would only be a hindrance in the fight. This was something Sasuke had to do alone.

"You think you're tougher than the person who destroyed my clan?"

"Well you think _you_ are."

One insult to match another.

"Nariko," Sasuke sighed, "If he finds you, chances are he's going to kill you. Don't… don't die on me, ok?"

He inhaled the smell of recently washed blonde hair. She had a tough tomboyish exterior, but he felt comfortable in her embrace. If revenge wasn't a core part of his life, he may have even have forgotten about the approaching doom of his brother. She looked at him with soft azure eyes.

"Trust me," she smiled, "I wouldn't do it on purpose."

-

All he had was a small lead on Tsunade's whereabouts. She was, supposedly, at a large gambling casino a few towns away. The only (and very important) reason he didn't find his blonde charge and start traveling in that direction was the women. They weren't the most beautiful he had ever seen, but they were still damn hot. Two women in particular caught his eye.

The first had shoulder length black hair, pale skin, and seemingly pupil-less onyx eyes. The other was just as much of a knockout. Long brown hair, light blue eyes; he could dig that.

-

Sasuke had been uneasy using a henge to look like an adult woman. One had to envision what one was turning into. Being the Uchiha he was, the only women he had ever actually gave a second glance were his fellow clan members. Apparently, he had no imagination.

So when Jiraiya, legendary sanin and legendary pervert approached (or, more like a loud introduction) Nariko and him, he had cursed the blonde's plan.

"Would you ladies care to join me later today?" he asked, placing an arm around each of their waists; a bold move.

Sasuke barely suppressed a shudder from going up his spine. Either that, or the urge to smack the man and exclaim something along the lines of not touching fellow males like that. But that would ruin the disguise. Nariko, however, more successfully kept her cool.

"I'm sorry," she smiled, "But we already have plans tonight. This is only a quick stop we're taking before heading to an old friend's house closer to the border."

"What a coincidence," he replied, "I'm heading there myself. Such lovely ladies as yourselves are in danger with such a long journey out in open territory."

Nariko mentally sighed.

**You two just **_**had**_** to henge into attractive women, didn't you?**

'The thought to copy someone's ugliness never crossed my mind,' the blonde mentally replied.

"Thank you for your offer," Nariko said, "But we couldn't, especially with Remonko-chan's (Lemon child) too shy to travel with strangers."

Sasuke tugged on his friend's sleeve, slightly ticked off at the name she gave him.

"Shiori-chan (bookmark)," he/she quietly said, "C-could we go now?"

To finish off the act, Sasuke gave a small bow and lowered his eyes. Shy yet polite. If she remembered, Nariko would give the Uchiha a compliment for his acting prowess. Soon enough, the two were off without a hitch.

As soon as they reached outside the town borders, they released the henge, not wanting another confrontation.

"Whenever I'm in disguise with you, he always shows up at some point."

"Twice. It's only happened twice."

Though she had to admit, the sanin appeared in her life when it was least convenient it seemed.

"Why should you care anyway?" she asked, "If I remember correctly, that was the cause of our first kiss."

It was highly probable that they would have kept with the trend had two people decided not to make their presence known. They both wore black outfits with red clouds. He wasn't sure who the fish-man was, but Sasuke knew who the second was. And he knew what said man was going to be. Dead.

-

"I finally found you!"

Takeshi had chosen to hide in Konoha forest, away from questioning people. So far, only a select few knew who he really was, and those select few had been bugging him to no end. Koharu had taken to flirting with him as she had before… over fifty years ago. The red-head hoped she had seen better days within that time period. Because of this, Homura had secretly (but not secretively enough not to be seen) been giving him dirty looks.

As for three or four ANBU who had overheard and were sworn to secrecy, they had continually asked him questions about Konoha when it had started, the ninja force then, etc. Takeshi could only take so many questions about 'what my great grandfather was like then, and what kind of ninja was he' and blah, blah, blah…

One had actually had the nerve to ask why he didn't help at the hospital. It had taken him almost six decades to tell his own mother. The nerve of humans…

"Hey."

He gave a small wave to the Hyuuga girl.

"Takeshi, I heard that someone's after Nariko," she explained.

"Who?" he asked, switching his fear of being asked useless questions to that of his sister being killed.

"And organization called 'Akatsuki'," Hinata replied, "That's all I know."

The red-head nodded. He hadn't heard much about these people. There wasn't much to hear. But apparently someone had missed something. For a youkai, hearing that someone was looking for 'a demon' was a very general term, but knowing Nariko, it probably concerned her.

"That blonde's a danger magnet," he sighed.

There rarely was a week without her getting in serious trouble. He wasn't in a total rush. Since Jiraiya had been nominated for the Hokage position, she probably wasn't in too much danger with him around.

"Anything else you know?" he asked.

Unfortunately, Hinata did know something. Something that made the Uchiha-hater immediately set out to find his sister.

-

Sasuke glared at his brother with hateful sharingan eyes. Any previous moods he had been feeling were completely replaced with anger and hatred.

"Little brother," Itachi began, "How fateful for you to become close to one of Akatsuki's target."

"I will kill you if it's the last thing I do!" Sasuke growled before charging, a chidori in hand.

The avenger seemed oblivious that his brother had a partner with him. Seeing how said partner was half-shark, this was a hard feat to accomplish. The man reached for the zanbato on his back. Ever ready to back up her teammate, Nariko unsealed her own weapon. As the two Uchiha went into battle, the fish-man seemed interested.

"Where'd you get that blade?" he questioned, "Not that it's going to matter in a few minutes."

"I took it from one of the seven swordsman of the mist after I killed him," Nariko stated.

"I thought I recognized it," he replied, "Momochi always was the weakest of us, but I wonder how a kid like you beat him."

"Nothing a little anger can't fix."

**And the help of a demon and jonin.**

Nariko ignored the comment and proceeded to let the weapon catch fire. This seemed not to faze her opponent. And later, to her dismay, she would find out that his zanbato could 'eat' her fire.

He was there at inconvenient times, but when she was in trouble… Where the hell was Ero-jii?

-

The world could have turned rainbow with clowns and shit dancing around, and Sasuke would still be able to see only one thing: his brother. He charged with lightning speed, focused on his target, blinded by rage. The older Uchiha easily caught his brother's arm and twisted it backwards, dissipating the lightning.

"I see you did not take my advice," Itachi stated, "Hatred is the only way you can ever hope to beat me."

Sasuke twisted to free himself, not caring that as a result, his arm was sustaining damage.

"I do hate you," he spat, "There isn't a day when I don't despise your very existence."

"You cannot let your heart love and hate," Itachi replied, "Only by embracing your loathing of me, to let nothing stand in your way; only then can you win."

"Don't listen!" Nariko yelled, "Don't give up your happiness for him, it makes me jealous!"

Even though she was barely getting away with her life, Nariko was still able to make a joke. He had been blinded by rage (he was still angry, but not blind; he would've seen the dancing clowns) and it had given a huge opening for both of them to be hurt. The blonde fell backwards as the unique texture of Kisame's blade scraped down her arm.

"We don't want to kill you little girl," the former swordsman of the mist said, "It would be easier if you just held still."

Nariko didn't dare unseal the Kyuubi, the duo's real target. Without her mother (and she hated to admit it) the blonde wasn't as tough as she was when they were together.

Sasuke swung his legs up in an attempt to kick himself free of his brother's clutches, but the older Uchiha kept his grip on Sasuke's arm. It was barely a second, but Itachi only needed a second of eye contact to entrap his brother with tsukiyomi.

The boy fell to the ground without a struggle. Nariko, now alone against the two, was unsure of what to do. The smart thing to do was to run away as fast as possible, but the blonde was never one to run from a fight.

"Let me take care of this one," Kisame grinned.

Itachi only nodded in acceptance. Nariko waited for the attack to be made, but none came. Instead, the fish-man jumped out of the way of an incoming attack. The blonde turned to see who had come to her aid.

"It's about time you showed up," she said.

"Says the person accusing me of following her," Jiraiya replied.

For all their strength, Itachi and Kisame knew they were no match for a sanin and soon took their leave.

-

It was dark, like the last time the jutsu had been used on him. Sasuke could see his brother, knew he couldn't do anything to stop him. But the man did nothing to hurt his brother, nothing characteristic of the murderer. In fact, he almost looked sad. Almost.

"Sasuke," he began, "It has become apparent that you don't hate me enough, enough that you are conforming to society."

He couldn't speak, but the Uchiha wondered 'Why? Why do you want me to hate you?'

"That is why," he continued, "For the next seventy-two hours, you will be under constant torture."

A katana of sorts appeared in the man's hand. Sasuke knew what would happen next, but couldn't will himself to move. All anger and fear was replaced with that of confusion.

'Why, Itachi? Why?'

-

Kisame had always known that Itachi was a touch, cold-blooded killer, but he had never realized how much so until that very day where he had tortured his little brother. It took a really twisted person to convince their younger sibling to devote his or her life to hate. Itachi made no change in expression when the question was presented.

"If destiny wills you to know it, you will understand," was his only reply.

The Uchiha never had wanted to harm his brother, but it was necessary. The blonde jinchuuriki gave him hope. Against his best intentions, Itachi deep down hoped that his brother would ignore him and find happiness. Everything was so confusing at times. He sometimes wished he had never become part of the plan at all…

-

Takeshi loitered in the tavern. After making sure his sister was alright, he had ventured to the town both she and the sanin were heading to next. No need to alert them that he was closely following, watching their every move as soon as they arrived. Besides, now that a couple non-important people (he didn't consider nameless ANBU to have the slightest importance to his life) knew to respect him, Konoha was getting boring. He needed to find a place to get a little disrespect, so it wouldn't be like the old days.

The place was slow, strange for a night in a gambling city. There were a few people in the booths, nothing too interesting. Well, there was one completely schnockered blonde woman accompanied with a distraught, younger, dark-haired woman who, for some reason, was holding a pig. Taking pity on her situation, the youkai decided to make a small intervention.

"Hello," he greeted, inviting himself into the booth, "Can I offer you ladies a drink?"

"Oh, we should actually be going-" the dark-haired woman began before being cut off.

"It'sh nishe ta shee shomeone polite…"

He only politely smiled at her drunken reply. When the drinks came around to the table, Takeshi took it upon himself to pour the blonde's saké. She took it gratefully and downed it, only to (seconds later) drop her head unconscious onto the table.

"Do you need any help getting her home?" he asked.

"What did you do?" the woman nervously asked.

"Don't worry," he assured her, "She'll wake up tomorrow morning with a terrible hangover, nothing more. It just seemed like she was giving you a hard time. So, need any help?"

Although considered 'a danged young hooligan' by most, Takeshi could be a gentleman… when he wanted. The young woman appreciatively took the offer of help, and even more so when the mysterious red-head left money on the table.

The blonde woman smelled older than she looked. And from experience, Takeshi knew that most older human women were a lot to handle. From the looks of things, this was something that happened often.

The three made it to the inn and the red-head placed the unconscious woman on the bed.

"Thank you," the dark-haired woman said, "I'm Shizune."

"Takeshi," he replied, "Hey, how long are you two staying in town?"

"I don't know," Shizune admitted with a nervous laugh, "It depends how much money she loses."

"Well, maybe I'll be seeing you around," he replied with a wink before turning to leave.

There was no reason to why he couldn't help but flirt with human women. It's not like he desired anything romantic (he wasn't exactly a spring chicken after all) it just was a hobby of his… But he had a feeling that he would definitely see them again.

-

Although his arms were in pain, Orochimaru calmly took the information Akira relayed to him.

"Kabuto, we leave in the morning," he said, "We must find Tsunade before Jiraiya. Akira, what news do you have on the two feline youkai?"

"They have both reported in to Oto, My Lord," she reported.

Orochimaru nodded. As soon as his arms were healed, his plan could continue and Sasuke would be within his grasp. And soon after that, he would be able to destroy all opposition in his way, including the Akatsuki.

-

**A/N:** Mm'kay, I didn't get this chapter out as soon as I would have hoped, but with painting abstract art on walls and such, I got distracted (big surprise there). Anyway, I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter. Tell me what you think, what you want me to include or explain (and with the price of oil these days, flames will be gladly accepted). Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that this story is officially ShikaNari, so keep in mind SasuNari haters that relationships aren't forever.

Just a chapter or two more until this whole 'find Tsunade' thing is over. Then I'll write the long awaited 500th review chake/ chapter (I didn't forget about you!) before we move on to SRA and on to the time skip. It sounds so easy, but it'll probably take me a loooooong time. Until later… **review!**


	28. Bribery Knows Best

**Nariko**

**-**

**Chapter 28: Bribery Knows Best**

**-**

**Disclaimer: **Shit, it's been forever…

-

"What happened last night?"

Tsunade was clutching her head in pain. She had just woken up and the noonday sun was adding to the misery of her hangover. Shizune handed the woman a cup of tea, specially made to ease the pain.

"You drank too much and passed out again," Shizune sighed, "You really should make a stopping point."

Tsunade waved her off. She was old enough to do as she pleased. The woman looked through her coin purse, surprised to find money still in it.

"Shizune," she began, "I distinctly remember losing last night and then going to a tavern."

"That's because you did."

"Then where did all this money come from?"

Shizune sweatdropped. Why would she question actually _having_ money for once? If it wasn't so pathetic, she might have laughed.

"Someone picked up your drinking tab last night," Shizune said without adding 'Before you passed out.'

"Any catch?"

Shizune shook her head.

"None that I'm aware of."

Content with that answer, Tsunade began planning how to gamble the extra money she had left over…

-

Jiraiya could sense that the blonde was still worried about her teammate. Gai had conveniently shown up soon after the Uchiha face-off to bring Sasuke back to Konoha (although accidentally attacking them in the process). Nariko had been silent ever since, even through the night. He knew she wasn't the quiet type or the kind with a long enough attention span to do nothing for hours upon hours.

"Hey kid," he began, "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him with clueless blue eyes.

"Huh, what?"

"You seem out of it."

"There's an organization out to get people like me and my boyfriend just was tortured into a coma or something. Not to mention I was close to worthless in that battle. I have things to figure out."

Every second he spent near the blonde, the more she seemed like her father. It was almost scary (although, Jiraiya had yet to see her darker side). If they were so alike maybe she could learn…

"Kid, how would you like to learn an amazingly powerful jutsu?"

-

Tsunade took her time to consider her options. Orochimaru wasn't someone she trusted anymore, but the offer to resurrect both her brother and previous love… there probably wouldn't be another chance. Her former teammate seemed confident enough, even with both arms crippled. Both his lackeys would give their lives for him no doubt. It was sad how some people sold their souls away for no apparent reason.

The blonde couldn't make a decision. But the offer was too tempting to resist.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru began, "I'll give you a week to decide. Meet us here with your answer."

As soon as they left, Tsunade felt like breaking down and crying. She couldn't let herself betray Konoha for two of the people she loved the most. Would they forgive her?

"Lady Tsunade…"

Shizune's expression softened. She knew this was a hard decision for her, and the only thing she could do was to try and make her choose the right one.

-

Nariko peeled melted rubber off her hand. Jiraiya had been explaining a jutsu called the rasengan and told her to focus her chakra into a water balloon. Apparently, the spinning chakra was supposed to pop the balloon. The problem was, she had turned chakra into fire for so long it was hard for her to stop it from becoming combustible. So far, she had popped several balloons… all by melting a hole in the rubber.

"I wish he had given me better instructions."

The sanin himself had left her in the forest to train while he looked for Tsunade in town. Nariko sighed in frustration as she melted yet another balloon.

"Some help would be nice," she sighed.

**You'll get it eventually.**

"I've been concentrating really hard all day! This is getting frustrating! I thought I'd have it by now."

**You are to make a sphere of turbulent chakra, yes?**

"I hope so, because that's what I've been trying to do for the past three hours."

**Why don't you try to just use fire instead?**

"Huh?"

**As you are part of my brood, you have control over fire. Therefore it would be easier for you to grasp the concept by using a more controllable medium.**

The blonde nodded and put aside the water balloons. Bringing chakra to her hand, she created a thin strand of fire.

**Now, try spinning the fire into a ball without letting it get out of control.**

Nariko took a deep breath and focused on the flame, letting it bend and curve into a sphere. The only problem was that the sphere kept growing, and growing, and growing… Seconds later, she scrambled to douse the flaming trees. Perhaps the forest was not the wisest place to try out a fire-based jutsu…

-

"Lord Orochimaru, what do you wish me to do if Tsunade refuses to heal your arms?" Kabuto asked.

"She won't refuse my offer," he replied, "But in the slight chance that she does, I may have to switch bodies sooner than planned. Now leave me, both of you."

Kabuto and Akira left their master as commanded.

"May I ask for information on Lord Orochimaru's condition?" Akira asked.

The medic nodded and explained how the sanin's arms were dead, nerves and chakra pathways severed. But it had been in a way that only a highly skilled medic could fix it, as if the man who caused the damage intended for it to be healed later. Akira asked if he knew who had been the attacker.

"I believe you've seen him," Kabuto replied, "He was at the chunin exam preliminaries with Uzumaki. But Lord Orochimaru has eliminated him."

The only sign of surprise the miko showed was a slight widening of the eyes. The sanin would not be happy with the new information she had for him…

-

It had taken all morning, but Nariko had somewhat constructed a spinning ball of fire without burning down anything by accident (although, she had decided to train near a water source just in case…). The Kyuubi sat nearby, having been summoned earlier.

"This is easier with my own chakra," Nariko stated, "Less explosions that way."

The Kyuubi smiled.

"You're coming along to become a great kitsune."

Nariko looked up from her work to her mother.

"I know you're stuck with me all the time," she began, "I can take care of myself for at least a few hours."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"You deserve to get away from me," the blonde laughed, "The jutsu will let you be a few miles away, so don't worry about that either."

The immortal turned to leave before being stopped by her adopted daughter. The blonde handed over a small purse stuffed with money.

"Please don't spend all my money."

Nariko waved until her mother was out of sight. She laughed to herself. She was like a parent sending a child to school. The blonde laughed again. There was no one there to ask why she was laughing. It was a cycle that was only broken by the growing ball of fire she had lost track of…

-

"Shizune, you deserve a day off."

"But Lady Tsuna-"

"I need some time to think alone."

The brunette sighed before leaving the room they were staying in, Tonton close behind. Shizune was worried about her mentor and the encounter with Orochimaru. There was no way she could let Orochimaru regain his ability to destroy places such as Konoha. He was an evil man. No doubt.

Shizune continued to walk down the street. What she needed was a quiet walk to think things over and plan what to do next. Her plan was doomed to fail as she soon bumped into the same man she had met the other night.

-

Akira resisted the urge to hold her bow. It was apparent that Orochimaru was very, _very_ angry with the news that the red-head who had disabled his arms was still alive.

"Why was I not told of this sooner?" he hissed.

"I was not aware that he was close to the Hokage or desired to help Konoha," she replied.

"And _why_ did you not shoot this threat?"

"I cannot," she stated.

"_What?_"

"It is miko rule to only attack those of evil spirit. He has faced judgment already."

Akira kept a stoic face. She did not fear Orochimaru or any threat of death.

"My clan supports your enterprise to defeat the Akatsuki," she continued, "But our rule comes before yours."

Kabuto bravely stepped forward, ready to pacify his master's mood.

"If this man still lives, perhaps it would be easier for you to convince him to help you. I have run examinations on your injuries and I believe that he purposely made it possible to fix them."

Orochimaru seemed to consider the possibility, although still angry.

"Akira, gather information. Kabuto, offer him my deal and report back. I want to know his reaction."

-

The Kyuubi perused the village, unsure of what to do. Human towns had never interested her by the time her third kit was born. And those cities had been more advanced than any in the present time, but nonetheless life in the wild among the kitsune clan had been enough to satisfy her. Soon after, she had become leader of the clan as the world began to crumble and the need and want to go into human settlements had completely vanished (coincidentally the cities had disappeared as well due to their own devices; pollution, deforestation, war over lack of fuel… qualms long forgotten by the ninja world).

She sighed as a group of men whistled at her. No matter the species, males could be so immature. The woman approached a small, but decent looking tea house. Even though she had been summoned at least twice (excluding the day of the chunin exams) she had been with Nariko. And of course, they ate ramen. It wasn't that she disliked it, but she had been sealed for years and now that she could walk around a bit, she was going to get some real food damn it!

The first thing, or person, who caught her eye was none other than the woman they were after. Supposedly, Tsunade was a powerful medic. A powerful medic who clearly had a hangover. The blonde woman sat at the bar, her torso slouched, and emitting a smell of fear? Worry?

Interested, The Kyuubi quietly perched on the stool next to the woman. The blonde didn't give a second glance.

"You seem down," the red-haired woman said, "Are you alright?"

She looked at her with tired brown eyes before replying, "I'm fine."

Ah well, she tried. But just as she was going to settle down something picked up on her senses causing her to groan. Takeshi had trailed them to the town and now she would never get the peace and quiet she desperately needed. It wasn't that she disliked him, but he had always been… off. His interest in humans and healing them had been a practice rejected by the whole clan. The Kyuubi's time in her young vessel had opened her mind to more human tolerance. They only lived for a few decades before dying, unlike her own family.

Youkai spent little time together as it could lead to trouble. If fish and house guests stunk after three days, think of the harm eternity could do… Despite this, she had rather neglected her youngest son and perhaps karma was now shoving it back into her face.

"Karma sucks," she muttered.

The woman next to her chuckled.

"Now who's down?"

The red-head frowned.

"I just realized my son's in town," she replied, "We don't exactly get along."

The blonde woman quirked a brow. The woman next to her couldn't possibly be older than thirty, with the way she looked.

"So, let me get this straight," Tsunade began, "You're hiding from your kid?"

"He's not a kid anymore," she sighed, "He was a lot less trouble then. Wait until you have kids of your own…"

Tsunade shook her head.

"I'm a lot older than I look," the sanin replied.

"So am I."

"I'm Tsunade," she said.

"Setsuka."

"Nice to meet you, Setsuka."

-

"Can I ask you something?" Shizune asked.

She had been walking around town talking to Takeshi for the past few hours about this and that. He seemed like a good guy. Younger than her, but still quite a conversationalist. Nonetheless, Tonton had seemed to shy away from the red-head.

"Sure."

"The village you live in, you'd protect it if it was in danger, right?"

"What do you think I am, a ninja?" he grinned, "But I guess so."

"Then," Shizune continued, "Would you help someone destroy the village if it were to save someone you loved?"

"Is this one of those test questions?" he asked, unfazed by the awkward hypothetical, "Because, you're a nice person an' all, but I've already got a somebody-"

"N-no! It's not that at all," she flustered, "You're too young for me!"

His ever increasing grin made her realize yet another mistake she had made.

"J-just forget about it!"

"Consider it done," he winked.

Shizune looked down to try and hide the redness of her cheeks. Stupid! Why would she bring up something like that with someone she barely knew? To her luck, the smell of burning wood and sound of crashing trees brought a much needed distraction.

"Let's check it out," she said.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" he asked.

"Don't worry. I'm a ninja."

"Strange how you ask me odd questions, tell me I'm too young for you, then suddenly admit you're a ninja," he teased.

Takeshi had always had a strange aura about him that made people comfortable around him. It probably had to do with his goofy amiability, and it most definitely was the reason why he hadn't been slapped clean across the face. The two (and Tonton, who was much less confident about heading into a possible forest fire) headed towards the source and found smoking cinders on the forest floor. The tree that had caught fire had been burned to the core and had shattered upon impact.

"It's like," Shizune began, "The tree just exploded with fire."

Takeshi was silent and approached the fire, holding his palms inches away from the embers. He looked at Shizune.

"It burned quick and hot, then dissipated," he said, "A flash fire of sorts."

"You can really tell all that?"

"My family's full of pyromaniacs," he laughed, "Of course."

There was a pause.

"See? You managed to get something out of me after all."

She nodded before approaching the now dead embers herself. Shizune could sense the chakra that went into making the fire. Whoever was doing this was powerful, probably, and she didn't want a civilian to get hurt when they met.

"I'm thinking," Takeshi continued, "That this has to do with some crazy ninja stunt."

Shizune looked at him for an explanation.

"Explosives would have taken out the surrounding trees, and regular fire can't possibly burn this hot. You ninja can do crazy things, so that's the easiest explanation I can think of."

"Not all ninja blow up trees."

"Anyway, I think a trip back to town would be best," he smiled, "If trees are suddenly bursting, then I'd rather not be around when they do."

-

"That was so cool…"

Nariko grinned to herself. The fire sphere had worked like a charm, and it was a brilliant display of destruction. The blonde grinned until she felt a pull in the back of her mind. The Kyuubi was moving around in the town, and there was a distance limit in which they could be separate. Nariko groaned and started moving in the direction of her mother, away from the smoldering tree.

Her mother deserved to walk around for at least a little while, and Nariko was done learning the fire sphere thing, so… maybe she'd go bother someone.

-

Jiraiya knew that the good time he was having was coming to an end as soon as he heard someone yell for help. Was it the blonde? Probably. Should he care? Probably not. Jiraiya sighed before reconsidering. If the blonde destroyed something, he'd be held accountable, and that would make life even more difficult. Might as well fix the problem now while could…

-

Tsunade couldn't help but laugh. This woman, Setsuka, was opinionated and was not afraid of saying what she was feeling. It was rare to find an older woman who hadn't wrinkled into a serious snarl.

"Men… what can you do?" the red-head sighed.

"You can beat them as much as you want," Tsunade replied, "And they still don't learn."

"Too stubborn for their own good," Setsuka replied, "I know my own husband would rather die than say he was wrong."

"Marriage isn't something I'm looking into."

"Good, because unless you want kids, it's not good for anything else. I haven't seen my husband for years…"

Tsunade drank her tea.

"So you're a traveler?" she asked.

"I suppose you could say that," Setsuka replied.

"As am I," Tsunade sighed, "I just got to a point where I couldn't live the same life any more and I took to the road."

"If only I could run around like what I was a kid," the red-head replied, "It seems so long ago."

The two women laughed at that. The Kyuubi was surprised that she had come to friendly terms with this human so quickly. It took her years to accept Nariko. Perhaps it was because their meeting was forced, but years it still took, nonetheless.

-

"I should find Tsunade-sama," Shizune sighed, "But it was nice seeing you again."

Takeshi grinned.

"If you need help, just a-holler and I'll be a-coming to help."

"You are a very strange person," she smiled.

"Some would argue that I'm not a person at all."

She laughed and waved, and the two turned their separate ways. One was to find the ninja who almost set the forest on fire, the other to ignore the fire-setter and remain incognito.

-

"Is this a serious deal?"

Takeshi was skeptical that Orochimaru, the man who had already tried to kill him twice, would want to help him.

"What's the catch?"

"You have to heal Orochimaru-sama's arms," Kabuto replied.

"Ah, so the truth comes out!"

Kabuto blinked.

"That's ok," Takeshi shrugged, "I was going to bribe that guy anyway for the same thing. I guess you just beat me to it."

Kabuto nodded, dumbfounded. So his assumption was right after all… But why would the youkai, immortal, need Orochimaru's help in anything? The medic saw the youkai's eyes shift to where Akira now stood.

"Howdy."

"I know who you are," she said.

"Do you?" Takeshi asked.

"I do," Akira continued, "And I believe that it would be worth your while to join our cause."

"Oh really?" he replied, "Look, a trade is a trade. I don't feel like joining for life. Commitment's not my thing."

"What… do you know about Akatsuki?"

Kabuto tensed. The Miko could blow the entire operation if he didn't turn out to be an ally. Information was their greatest asset, and she was going to give it away.

"What do I know? I know that I shouldn't like them."

"It was destiny that you would come into this," Akira continued, "It was destined that you would join us and get your revenge."

"You…" Takeshi began, "You know where he is?"

"Not exactly, but he runs Akatsuki, and Orochimaru-sama aims to destroy them."

Takeshi was silent. He had been waiting decades to find this man and kill him. Maybe not for them, but for himself. And the fact that he was after both his mother and sister gave the youkai even more reason to go with the plan. He looked at the Miko. They were bound by honor to do the righteous thing, and lying was not part of their nature. She could be trusted, even if Orochimaru could not.

"You."

Kabuto twitched under the sudden shift of attention.

"So, when and where do I meet you?"

"W-well, Orochimaru-sama has planned to meet Tsunade within a week."

"Oh, the fake Tsunade… they're going to make her Hokage, y'know."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"A fact for a fact. You never answered me. When and where do we meet?"

-

**A/N:** Kill me if you want. Heh… Edelta88 reminded me that I actually have an account here. Whoops. Anyway, the Kyuubi's name, Setsuka, was a suggestion by someone a loooooong time ago...


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